''United States v. Robinson'', 414 U.S. 218 (1973), was a case in which the
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
held that "in the case of a lawful custodial arrest a full search of the person is not only an exception to the warrant requirement of the
Fourth Amendment, but is also a reasonable search under that Amendment."
Facts
A Washington D.C. Metropolitan police officer stopped a 1965 Cadillac based on reliable information that the driver's operating license had been revoked. All three occupants exited the car, and the officer arrested the driver, Robinson. (For purposes of the Court's opinion, it was assumed that Robinson's full-custody arrest was valid.) The officer proceeded to search Robinson, and felt a package whose contents the officer could not immediately identify. Upon removing the package—a crumpled cigarette packet—and opening it, the officer discovered "14 gelatin capsules of white powder" that turned out to be heroin.
Issue
Did the officer's search of the defendant violate the Fourth Amendment?
Holding
According to the Court "in the case of a lawful custodial arrest a full search of the person is not only an exception to the warrant requirement of the 4th Amendment, but is also a reasonable search under that Amendment."
See also
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Chimel v. California
''Chimel v. California'', 395 U.S. 752 (1969), was a 1969 United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that police officers arresting a person at home could not search the entire home without a search warrant, but police may search t ...
'' (1969)
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Virginia v. Moore
''Virginia v. Moore'', 553 U.S. 164 (2008), is a Supreme Court of the United States case that addresses use of evidence obtained by police in a search incident to an arrest if that arrest is later found to be unlawful..
Background
Two Portsmo ...
'' (2008)
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Arizona v. Gant'' (2009)
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People v. Diaz
''People v. Diaz'', 51 Cal. 4th 84, 244 P.3d 501, 119 Cal. Rptr. 3d 105 (Cal. January 3, 2011) was a Supreme Court of California case, which held that police are not required to obtain a warrant to search information contained within a cell pho ...
'' (2011)
Further reading
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External links
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{{US4thAmendment, warrantexceptions, state=expanded
1973 in United States case law
United States Fourth Amendment case law
United States privacy case law
United States Supreme Court cases of the Burger Court
United States Supreme Court cases