The United States Constitution places clear limits on police authority. Under the Fourth Amendment, individuals have the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments guarantee that no person may be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, and the right to engage in lawful expressive activity without retaliation.

When a police officer acts under color of law and violates these constitutional protections, that conduct may constitute police misconduct and give rise to a civil rights claim.