WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to give police the automatic power to enter homes without a warrant when they’re in “hot pursuit” for a misdemeanor crime, ruling against an officer who charged a man with DUI after slipping under his garage door.
The case involved a California man whom a police officer attempted to pull over 100 feet from his driveway. Instead of stopping his car, the man drove into his garage and shut the door – later claiming he didn’t see the patrol car behind him. The officer entered the man’s garage, questioned him and charged him with DUI.
The court’s ruling was unanimous, but several justices wrote concurring opinions to