The right of the people to be secure in their persons houses papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated. The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the federal government from conducting unreasonable searches and seizures.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. In Maryland, Article 26 of the Declaration of Rights is the state equivalent of the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution protects against unreasonable governmental searches. Debates over the scope of unreasonable searches and seizures sparked the American Revolution as we'll learn in a moment. That freedom of speech and debate, or proceedings in the Legislature, ought not to be impeached in any Court of Judicature. Art. 11. Amendment Four to the Constitution was ratified on December 15, 1791. It protects the American people from unreasonable searches and seizures.