Exigent Circumstances
“Exigent,” in this context, means urgent, a circumstance that demands immediate attention. Law enforcement agents can enter when there’s a fire or other danger, to deal with it or to rescue people, and they can investigate the cause of a fire for a limited time. In addition, officers can enter in hot pursuit of a serious criminal, or to capture one who’s about to escape. Judges usually find that if the police had less than half an hour in which to act, then proceeding without a warrant is reasonable