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Article: Nine for the Fourth Amendment
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- December 12, 1992
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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IT IS REASONABLE to assume that when the Fourth Amendment to
the Constitution was adopted more than 200 years ago, its drafters
intended to protect homes, persons and possessions from unreasonable
government searches, but only relatively portable items from
unreasonable seizures. But by the 20th century, homes, too, have
become portable or at least mobile and subject to seizure almost as
easily as books and records are. In fact, in a case decided by the
Supreme Court on Tuesday, that's just what had happened.
Edward Soldal and his family lived in a mobile home but had a
series of disputes involving nonpayment of rent with the company