Federal Court Strikes Down Kansas Law Allowing Warrantless Inspections, Citing Fourth Amendment Violation

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A federal court has ruled that Kansas’s practice of conducting surprise, warrantless inspections is unconstitutional, marking a major win for constitutional rights. The decision, issued by U.S. District Judge Kathryn H. Vratil, came after a federal civil rights trial that concluded in late May, according to a press release from the Kansas Justice Institute.

The case was brought by nationally known dog trainer Scott Johnson and his wife, Harlene Hoyt, who challenged a state law requiring licensed dog trainers to allow unannounced inspections of their private homestead or face fines or license loss. The court found that this practice violated the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches.

In 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit reinstated the case after it was initially dismissed, allowing the couple’s constitutional claims to move forward.

Kansas had argued that dog training falls under the “pervasively regulated industry” exception to the Fourth Amendment, which allows warrantless searches in specific industries like mining. The court rejected that claim, warning that such reasoning could be used to justify warrantless searches in nearly any field, undermining constitutional protections.

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