The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated. In this session, students will examine the historical context and the drafting of the Fourth Amendment.The Fourth Amendment does not prohibit the warrantless seizure of evidence of a crime in plain view, even if the discovery of evidence was not inadvertent. The Fourth Amendment generally requires government officials to obtain an arrest warrant or search warrant to execute a valid search and seizure. The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits "unreasonable" searches and seizures. In 1878, Ex Parte Jackson established the protected status of mail under the Fourth Amendment. This Fourth Amendment activity raises the same question as in the landmark Supreme Court case New Jersey v. T.L.O.: Can a school search a student's backpack? 28 Footnote 388 U.S. at 50–53.