Thursday, August 19, 2010

Ohio Supreme Court 4th. Amendment Learning Tool

The Ohio Supreme Court yesterday announced that its Visitor Education Center would be offering lesson plans & tools for middle- and high school students and teachers to study & consider the Court’s 2009 decision in State v. Smith, requiring police to obtain warrants before searching cell phones and related Fourth Amendment considerations. The decision generated considerable national comment as this was the first such ruling from a state supreme court in the nation.

The lesson plan features a link to the video stream of the oral arguments before the Court and includes topics such as:

  • Wording of the Fourth Amendment and related terms
  • Basics of search warrants
  • Background information about State v. Smith
  • A summary of the legal issues surrounding Smith
  • Suggestions for classroom discussion and follow-up activities


Additional information and the plan’s link are available on the Court’s announcement

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