What does 'search and seizure' refer to in criminal law?

'Search and seizure' refers specifically to the practice of gathering evidence from a suspect's property by law enforcement. This legal process is a critical part of criminal investigations and is governed by the Fourth Amendment in the United States, which protects individuals against unreasonable searches and seizures. For a search to be lawful, law enforcement typically must obtain a warrant based on probable cause, unless certain exigent circumstances exist.

In this context, the act of searching a person's property would involve law enforcement entering the location and inspecting it for evidence related to a crime. Seizure refers to the authority to take possession of items or evidence that may be relevant to an investigation. This concept is fundamental to ensuring that evidence is collected in a manner that respects individuals' rights while addressing criminal activities.

The other options do not accurately encapsulate the meaning of 'search and seizure' in the legal sense. Detaining a suspect is related to arrest procedures, obtaining confessions involves interrogation practices, and inspecting financial records pertains to economic crimes and compliance, but none of these directly describe the process of gathering physical evidence from locations associated with a suspect.