Mysterious aircraft circling sacramento Cali recently. Ideas??

mikecweb said:
Looks like a 206 to me.
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+1

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MikeD said:
Doesn't apply in aerial surveillance, under California vs Ciraolo 476 US 207 (1986).

Basically that any area that can be observed from a normal place one is legal to be, is not a curtilage violation. So while police can't come up to a home's window and peer in to find evidence of a crime without a warrant (barring exigent circumstances), if they happen to observe the same thing while driving by the home......on a pubic road.....and happen to notice something through say an open gate to a yard, or an open window; then that doesn't violate curtilage.

At the same time, being in the air in an aircraft is a legal place to be. If something is observed from the air in an open yard or open top of a home....basically not covered/concealed from the casual overhead observer, and that anyone else could've observed when flying over (whether they are specifically looking or not); then it's not a curtilage violation and thereby not a warrantless search.
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What about in regards to tech that can "see through" buildings to find contraband? Is that legally permissible if the person doesn't haven't in public view but you can use enhanced tech to spy?
 
Is an airplane in the sky that much different from a car on the roadway? While I get 9-1-1 calls for both, I understand the concern of neither.

The world used to be a different, more rational and understandable place, in my opinion.
 
cencal83406 said:
What about in regards to tech that can "see through" buildings to find contraband? Is that legally permissible if the person doesn't haven't in public view but you can use enhanced tech to spy?
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Thats now where you run into warrant situations. Because aerial observation warrantless has to do with the plain view observation, or otherwise something anyone could see/notice who happened to be in the airspace above too. Because anyone is able to see it from above, the police aren't required to shield their eyes or anything. So generally speaking, the aerial observation warrantless applies to open yards, things on rooftops, etc. You run into a warrant situation when you start discussing tech usage to see under or through items that can't be normally seen.
 
Bob Ridpath said:
Is an airplane in the sky that much different from a car on the roadway? While I get 9-1-1 calls for both, I understand the concern of neither.

The world used to be a different, more rational and understandable place, in my opinion.
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I have spent a LOT of time in PSAPs over the years and listened to my fair share of calls. Over the last 15-20 years, I can say that I agree with you. I figure we're just getting old or not evolving. Somewhere there's probably a quote from Aristotle or Thucydides or Plato expressing the same sentiments...
 
An FBI 206 landed at my hometown airport for maintenance a few years ago. I looked in it, the usual rack of govt. radios, etc. And, IIRC, three pair of very expensive looking binocs, and camera equipment. I asked what it was all for. "Whale watching". :)
 
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