Opinion ID: 201110
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Executing the Search Warrants

Text: 17 The Supreme Court has held that the Fourth Amendment's prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures extends not only to the initiation of searches but also to the manner in which searches are conducted. See, e.g., United States v. Ramirez, 523 U.S. 65, 71, 118 S.Ct. 992, 140 L.Ed.2d 191 (1998) (The general touchstone of reasonableness which governs Fourth Amendment analysis governs the method of execution of the warrant.) (citation omitted); Dalia v. United States, 441 U.S. 238, 257, 99 S.Ct. 1682, 60 L.Ed.2d 177 (1979) ([I]t is generally left to the discretion of the executing officers to determine the details of how best to proceed with the performance of a search authorized by warrant — subject of course to the general Fourth Amendment protection `against unreasonable searches and seizures.') (footnote omitted). Since the appellants are challenging Sergeant Lyver's execution of the warrants to search Lamprey's office and the Bellvilles' home with the help of civilians, we begin our analysis by evaluating whether Powers' and Minnis' presence during the search was constitutionally justified at all, even though the appellants did not directly challenge their presence. We will then use that evaluation to help guide the rest of our analysis. 18