Please enjoy the latest edition of Short Circuit, a weekly feature written by a bunch of people at the Institute for Justice.
The "open fields" doctrine permits gov't officials to roam private land without consent, a warrant, or probable cause as long as they don't enter the "curtilage" around a home. The Fourth Amendment does not apply. So just how much land is unprotected? Over at Regulation, IJ's own Josh Windham and Dave Warren have crunched some numbers and come to some startling conclusions. Click here to learn more.
But wait, there's more! The very same open fields "doctrine" turns 100 years old this May. Please join us in Arlington, Va. to confer, commemorate, and kvetch with an all-star lineup of scholars, including Laura Donohue, Maureen Brady, Morgan Cloud, Daniel Epps, Luke Milligan, and James Stern. Click here for details! And be sure to click here for a lovingly crafted podcast episode on the history of the doctrine.
