Reaves v. State

In Reaves v. State, 284 Ga. 181 (664 SE2d 211) (2008) our Supreme Court addressed the particularity requirement for warrants. As explained by the Court, warrants which contain residual clauses limiting the items to be seized to those relevant to the crimes identified in the warrant are sufficiently particular and do not authorize a general search in violation of the Fourth Amendment. Id. at 185-186 (2) (d). The Court stated that "although a warrant cannot leave the determination of what articles fall within its description and are to be seized entirely to the judgment and opinion of the officer executing the warrant, the degree of specificity in the description is flexible and will vary with the circumstances involved." Reaves, supra at 184 (2) (d). Specifically, "the particularity requirement only demands that the executing officer be able to identify the property sought with reasonable certainty." Id. at 187 (2) (d).