What Does the Fourth Amendment Mean? The exclusionary rule prohibits the government from using illegally obtained evidence to prove a criminal defendant's guilt.What are your Fourth Amendment rights? Federal judge finds a phone search without a warrant is illegal. At U.S. ports of entry in the NY Eastern District, this is now in effect. In the aftermath of Hickey, the legislature amended CPL 690.35 in 1992 to broaden the choice of courts empowered to issue search warrants (L 1992, ch 815, 816). One of the first ways a warrantless search is granted is if an officer has already made a lawful arrest of the person in question. In general, police need to have a search warrant in order to conduct a search. But there are many exceptions to this requirement. After House Passes Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act, ACLU Urges Senate to Stop Government from Spying on Americans Without a Warrant.