Final answer:
The Fourth Amendment mandates that searches and seizures be reasonable, warrants be based on probable cause, supported by Oath, and detail the areas and items to be searched or seized. Legal exceptions allow searches without a warrant in specific scenarios. Supreme Court cases have clarified these rights in various contexts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Fourth Amendment requires all searches and seizures to be reasonable, warrants to be based on probable cause, warrants to be supported by an Oath or affirmation, and warrants to particularly describe the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized. This means that government officials must obtain a search warrant, which is a legal document signed by a judge, before conducting a search or seizure. Exceptions exist for certain situations, such as when there is consent from the owner, exigent circumstances are present, or when items are in plain view.
Notable Supreme Court cases like Mapp v. Ohio and Katz v. United States have interpreted the Fourth Amendment and the limitations on searches and seizures, especially concerning the expectation of privacy. Similarly, in school-related searches, such as in New Jersey v. T.L.O., the Court has ruled that while students have Fourth Amendment protections, they are not as extensive as adults' rights within schools.