Police and fire officials are investigating a fire. Assume that a reasonable expectation of privacy remains in the premise and that no exception to the warrant requirement applies. Officials want to search the premises after the fire has been fully extinguished. The only purpose of the search is to determine the cause and origin of a recent fire. Which statement is true?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In this scenario, officials need an administrative search warrant because the search is for a regulatory purpose (determining the cause and origin of the fire) rather than for gathering evidence of a crime. Administrative search warrants are used for regulatory inspections of premises for compliance with fire, health, and building codes.

Police and Fire Officials Are Investigating a Fire