The use of technology has increased exponentially since its origins
The use of technology has increased exponentially since its origins. The DLK case was found by government officials using a thermal imager to scan the suspect’s house, and found abnormal heat signatures coming from the windows. This lead them to search the house and founds marijuana plants inside the house, and DLK was arrested. The controversy that arose from this situation was whether or not the police were allowed to scan DLK’s house in the first place, without his consent. The government went too far in search and seizure in the DLK case, because the government was invading DLK’s privacy without reasonable suspicion. Thermal technology is really useful, but it has yet to be used responsibly by the government. A thermal scanner, or a thermal imager, is a tool that can be used to detect differences of heat on a surface. Used by the government, the thermal scanner showed DLK’s house, as shown in Document C, the scanner was used in a manner that showed excessive heat signatures surrounding all of the windows and doors, which lead to DLK’s exposure and arrest. explained in Document B, the heat signatures arouse suspicion because marijuana plants need sunlight to grow, but could not be near windows, or else they would be seen. But instead, DLK used artificial light to simulate sunlight, which created excess heat which had to be let out. Someone might believe that because the image only scanned the outside, it was not infringing on DLK’s privacy, according to Document D, the government did not see the situation as an invasion of privacy. According to the government in Document E, since the imager scanned the outside of the house and none of the inside, no information about DLK’s home could be taken. This relates to the Carroll case in Document A, because this was a scenario where evidence could be taken away quickly, so the government thought it would be ‘impractical’ to make a warrant. The difference is, the evidence found in DLK’s home could be moved very quickly, leaving enough time to receive a warrant. The government also claims that heat waves “enter the public domain if and when they leave a building” in Document therefore the scan seemingly justified.(ut on the other hand, in Document, the device used on the other hand to scan DLK’s home was not of public use and should be considered as unconstitutional without permission or a warrant. This Case is similar to the Katz case stated in Document A, because both cases involved the unknown, unwarranted use of technology to gather information, which should be unconstitutional. DLK did not intend for his heat signatures to be discovered by technology that is used by the government, because he should not have to worry about being discovered by technology. -Thermal radiation is not…exposed to public view…- according to Document D, which means that there should be nothing for the government to investigate unless there is a warrant.The government should have had a warrant to be able to search DLK’s home. It is an unconstitutional invasion of privacy by the government. Although DLK did commit a serious crime, and was rightfully caught, the method of doing so was unconstitutional on the government’s part, and should be reviewed to create a better method of inspecting suspicious areas.
