The following excerpt is from United States v. Braggs, 20-892-cr (2nd Cir. 2021):
Second, if only federal law defines the Fourth Amendment equation, how is a court to evaluate parole searches-that is, searches executed by parole officers for the purpose of monitoring the parolees under their charge? It is beyond dispute that a parolee's home, "like anyone else's, is protected by the Fourth Amendment's requirement that searches be 'reasonable.'" Griffin v. Wisconsin, 483 U.S. 868, 873 (1987). Nevertheless, the Griffin Court recognized that "[a] State's operation of a probation system . . . presents 'special needs' beyond normal law enforcement that may justify departures from the usual warrant and probable-cause requirements." Id. at 873-74. In light of these special needs, "a search of a parolee is permissible so long as it is reasonably related to the parole officer's duties."[3] United States v. Grimes, 225 F.3d 254, 259 n.4 (2d Cir. 2000). Among these duties are the supervision, rehabilitation, and societal reintegration of the parolee, as well as assuring that "the community is not harmed by the [parolee's] being at large." Griffin, 483 U.S. at 875; see People v. Huntley, 43 N.Y.2d 175, 181-82 (1977).
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