Landmark Cases
Weeks v United States
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Weeks v United States, 232 U.S. 383 (1914), is a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court unanimously held that the warrantless seizure of items from a private residence violates the Fourth Amendment. Fremont Weeks had been convicted of using the mails to transport lottery tickets after police twice entered his Kansas City home without a warrant and seized his papers; the Court held the papers should have been excluded. The decision established the federal exclusionary rule.
Facts
Decision Year Decision Date HoldingThe warrantless seizure of documents from a private home violated the Fourth Amendment prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures, and evidence so obtained is excluded from use in federal criminal prosecutions; the Western District of Missouri's judgment was reversed and remanded. Decided by the United States Supreme Court. 1 Current StatusStill the founding case of the federal exclusionary rule; the rule was not extended to state courts until Mapp v Ohio, 367 U.S. 643 (1961). 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
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Sources
1. Weeks v United States (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLede (opening sentence)Quote, Lede (opening sentence)
Weeks v. United States, 232 U.S. 383 (1914) was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court unanimously held that the warrantless seizure of items from a private residence constitutes a violation of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
1. Weeks v United States (Wikipedia)
WikipediaInfobox (DecideYear field)Quote, Infobox (DecideYear field)
DecideYear=1914
1. Weeks v United States (Wikipedia)
WikipediaInfobox (DecideDate field)Quote, Infobox (DecideDate field)
DecideDate=February 24
1. Weeks v United States (Wikipedia)
WikipediaInfobox (Holding field)Quote, Infobox (Holding field)
The warrantless seizure of documents from a private home violated the Fourth Amendment prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures, and evidence obtained in this manner is excluded from use in federal criminal prosecutions. Western District of Missouri reversed and remanded.
1. Weeks v United States (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLede (Mapp v Ohio sentence)Quote, Lede (Mapp v Ohio sentence)
It was not until the case of Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643 (1961), that the exclusionary rule was deemed to apply to state courts as well.
1. Weeks v United States (Wikipedia)
WikipediaDecided By: United States Supreme Court, Decision section (unanimous holding)Quote, Decided By: United States Supreme Court, Decision section (unanimous holding)
The Supreme Court unanimously decided that since there was no warrant, the search was illegal. Therefore, the papers found should have been excluded because of the Fourth Amendment.
1. Weeks v United States (Wikipedia)
WikipediaEstablished: Exclusionary Rule, Lede (federal exclusionary rule sentence)Quote, Established: Exclusionary Rule, Lede (federal exclusionary rule sentence)
It also prevented local officers from securing evidence by means prohibited under the federal exclusionary rule and giving it to their federal colleagues.
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