Here’s a random one for the collective: tents as legal domicile?

[jetfire]

That’s definitely not the case.

United States v Jeffers- Hotel staff can enter the room to clean and make repairs, but cannot invite the police in the room/give consent. 1951 DC Court of Appeals Decision.

Stoner v California- Hotel clerk has no authority to grant consent. A hotel guest is entitled to the constitutional protection against unreasonable search and seizures. The hotel had no authority to permit the room search. 1964 US Supreme Court decision.

If a hotel employee finds something while in/cleaning a room, LE would have to get a search warrant to search further.

well then lots of hotels are teaching their employees things that are not correct.

[TC215]

well then lots of hotels are teaching their employees things that are not correct.

Regardless, in the end, it’s up to law enforcement to know the 4th Amendment and search and seizure laws, not the hotels. This stuff should be Police Academy 101, just like a landlord not being able to consent to a search of a tenant’s residence.

[olstyn]

Are you technically a tenant while staying at a hotel, or does that only apply to longer-term rental housing? MN, for one, prohibits landlords from prohibiting tenants from possessing firearms on the rental premises, and I'm curious whether that would apply in hotels, thus potentially making a hotel policy prohibiting guests from carrying/possessing firearms actually illegal. Not looking to become a test case pretty much ever, but it could be an interesting point of law to be aware of.

[John Hearne]

It depends on the Federal Circuit in which you reside. If you live in the 9th Circuit, there is clear case law, that a tent, even illegally erected, carries with it the same expectation of privacy as a residence.

[Drang]

...On occasion, I've found travel that takes me through this or that corner of OR of late, and I just haven't jumped through the permitting hoops there yet. ....

I realize it's a bit of a trek for you, but Mrs. Drang and I had good a good experience with the Columbia County, OR, Sheriff's Dept, as recounted here:

[jetfire]

Regardless, in the end, it’s up to law enforcement to know the 4th Amendment and search and seizure laws, not the hotels. This stuff should be Police Academy 101, just like a landlord not being able to consent to a search of a tenant’s residence.

That I 100% agree with, but I also think that private business like that should be training their people to know and understand the law as well. Of course, there are reasons I don't work in hotels any more.