Opinion ID: 698976
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Constitutional Privacy Rights

Text: 8 Woods' argues the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution grants him a legitimate expectation of privacy in his conversations with Anderson, citing the two-part test established by the United States Supreme Court in California v. Ciraolo, 476 U.S. 207 (1986). The Ciraolo test states an individual has a legitimate expectation government will not intrude without a warrant when: 1) an individual has manifested a subjective expectation of privacy in the object of the challenged search, and 2) society is willing to recognize the expectation as reasonable. Id. at 211. 9 Woods is unable to satisfy either part of the Ciraolo test. He cannot show a subjective expectation of privacy in either the information he provided to Anderson or society's willingness to recognize his privacy expectations in the information as reasonable. 10 The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2511, allows governmental electronic surveillance, without a warrant, if one of the parties to the communication consents. see; 18 U.S.C. Sec.2511(2)(c). The Omnibus Act made most other forms of wiretapping illegal if the government did not first obtain a warrant. Since Anderson consented to the installation of video and listening devices in his office, the DEA was not required to first procure a warrant. Thus, Anderson's consent was all the DEA needed to conduct electronic surveillance of Woods while he was in Anderson's office. 11 In addition, the United States Supreme Court has held a defendant has no legitimate expectation of privacy when he/she confides in another about illegal acts. Hoffa v. United States, 385 U.S. 293 (1966). When Woods entered Anderson's office and told him about his criminal activity, he accepted the risk the details of that conversation would be turned over to law enforcement officials. 12 Because Woods is unable to satisfy the first prong of the Ciraolo test discussion of the second prong is unnecessary.