A peace officer may not make a warrantless entry into a suspect's home without which of the following?

• A. Exigent circumstances
• B. Probable cause
• C. Consent
• D. Hot pursuit

Answer: (A)

Warrantless entry into a home is tightly controlled, because the home has strong Fourth Amendment protection. The main exception that allows officers to enter without a warrant is exigent circumstances—urgent situations where waiting to obtain a warrant isn’t feasible because there’s an imminent risk to life, a danger of serious harm, or a real risk that evidence could be destroyed or a suspect could escape. Hot pursuit is a specific scenario that creates exigent circumstances, so it fits under this idea. Probable cause alone does not justify entering without a warrant, and consent would permit entry only if freely given. So, the condition that makes warrantless entry permissible is exigent circumstances.