▁down ▁a ▁New ▁York ▁stat ute ▁providing ▁for ▁such ▁war rant less ▁entries ▁because ▁the ▁Four th ▁Am end ment ▁draw s ▁a ▁firm ▁line ▁at ▁the ▁entrance ▁to ▁the ▁house . ▁Ab sent ▁ex igent ▁circumstances , ▁that ▁threshold ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁reason ably ▁crossed ▁without ▁a ▁war rant . ▁The ▁court , ▁however , ▁did ▁specify ▁that ▁an ▁arrest ▁war rant ▁( as ▁opposed ▁to ▁a ▁search ▁war rant ) ▁would ▁have ▁su ffic ed ▁for ▁entry ▁into ▁the ▁suspect ' s ▁residence ▁if ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁reason ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁suspect ▁was ▁within ▁the ▁home . ▁ ▁Pay ton ▁and ▁related ▁case ▁law ▁establish ▁that ▁the ▁principle ▁that ▁a ▁person ▁in ▁a ▁home , ▁particularly ▁his ▁or ▁her ▁own , ▁is ▁entitled ▁Four th ▁Am end ment ▁prote ctions ▁not ▁afford ed ▁to ▁persons ▁in ▁autom ob iles , ▁as ▁per ▁Wh ren ▁v . ▁United ▁States , ▁or ▁to ▁persons ▁in ▁public , ▁as ▁per ▁United ▁States ▁v . ▁Watson . ▁ ▁Background ▁The odore ▁Pay ton ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁was ▁sus pected ▁of ▁murder ing ▁an ▁employee ▁of ▁a ▁gas ▁station ▁in ▁the ▁city . ▁Th inking ▁Pay ton ▁was ▁home , ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁police ▁" for ci b ly ▁entered ▁Pay ton ' s ▁home ." ▁Pay ton ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁not ▁home , ▁and ▁the ▁police ▁gathered ▁evidence ▁from ▁his ▁home ▁connecting ▁him ▁to ▁the ▁murder ▁of ▁the ▁gas ▁station ▁att endant . ▁The ▁police ▁acted ▁under ▁a ▁New ▁York ▁law ▁"