HARRISBURG – Leaders in the PA Senate are speaking out in support of a PA Supreme Court’s decision declaring warrantless searches on private lands as unconstitutional. Warrantless searches by state agents on private property were previously considered legal under the “open fields” doctrine, which was at a center of the case brought forward by two western PA hunting clubs against the PA Game Commission. The recent ruling requires any Game Commission employees or government officials to satisfy all warrant requirements before entering private land. The Senate leaders said every Pennsylvanian deserves to feel safe and secure on their own property and the PA Supreme Court was right to uphold the strong privacy and property protections provided by our state constitution. They added that Game Commission Officers have an important and dangerous job in enforcing game laws, which we certainly respect. However, it is now clear the PA Game Commission must also respect the lawful rights of property owners. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s unanimous decision is a tremendous win for private property rights across the Commonwealth.
