California v. Ciraolo

Summary

The Court held that the Fourth Amendment does not prohibit warrantless aerial observation of a fenced backyard within the curtilage of a home when the observation is made from public navigable airspace at 1,000 feet. The observation was deemed not a search because the area was visible to the naked eye from a lawful altitude, and thus the expectation of privacy was unreasonable. The decision reversed the California Court of Appeal.