California Supreme Court Closes Fourth Amendment Loophole That Let Cops Seize Guns Without Warrants

California Supreme Court Closes Fourth Amendment Loophole That Let Cops Seize Guns Without Warrants


In a unanimous decision, the California Supreme Court closed a “less demanding exception” to the Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirement earlier this month. The case centered around Willie Ovieda, who threatened to commit suicide in June 2015. After receiving distraught messages from his family, Santa Barbara police descended on Ovieda’s home and formed a perimeter. But by the time police had arrived, Ovieda’s friends had already disarmed him, moving a handgun and two rifles to his garage. Following his friends’ advice, Ovieda voluntarily came outside, and was promptly handcuffed.
See original work for more on this and other stories.