What case dictated the actions law enforcement could take without obtaining a warrant?

The case that dictated the actions law enforcement could take without obtaining a warrant is Mincey v. Arizona. In this 1978 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the warrantless search of a homicide scene was unconstitutional, emphasizing the necessity of obtaining a warrant in most cases unless exigent circumstances exist.

This case clarified the conditions under which law enforcement can conduct searches without a warrant, reinforcing the need for judicial oversight to protect individual rights against unreasonable searches and seizures. The decision helped establish that, although law enforcement may have certain emergency powers, the default position should always be to seek a warrant when possible.

Other cases in the list address different aspects of criminal procedure, such as the rights of defendants or the admissibility of evidence, but do not specifically focus on the circumstances that allow police to act without a warrant.