New York Court of Appeals
The People of the State of New York v. Katherine Reynolds
March 31, 198871 N.Y.2d 552
Summary
The New York Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction of Katherine Reynolds, holding that the open fields of her farm did not afford a constitutionally protected expectation of privacy under Article I, §12 of the New York Constitution, and therefore the warrantless aerial and foot searches were lawful. The Court also found the denial of a hearing on the motion to suppress proper because the affidavit lacked sworn factual allegations. A dissent argued that the majority made unsupported factual assumptions and should have remanded for a hearing.