2. Facts of the Case
The police of
Cleveland, Ohio
were give
information about
a suspect who was
claimed to have
been in a recent
bombing case.
A couple of police
officers went to her
front door announcing
that she had been a
high suspect in this
crime. She did not let
them come in unless
the police had a
search warrant with
them.
Jake and Will
3. Facts of the Case
One police stood
there and the
others got a
warrant to search
her house.
Three hours
passed and more
police showed up
at the door with
the search warrant
in hand. When
they tried to re-
enter she did not
answer.
Jake and Will
4. Facts of the Case
The police
then
knocked
down her
door and
entered her
home.
Mrs. Mapp
demanded
to see the
search
warrant.
Jake and Will
5. Facts of the Case
The police
flashed the
warrant and she
put the paper in
her blouse.
Police tackled
her down to
recover the
warrant.
They then
handcuffed her
for being
“belligerent”. After
the house wide
search the police
officers could not
find any evidence
of a suspected
bomber.
Jake and Will
6. Facts of the Case
Mrs. Mapp then
was arrested,
prosecuted and
sentenced for
having illegal
pornographic
material in her
home. At court,
there was no
evidence of a
search warrant.
Though, they did
find pornographic
findings in a
suitcase near her
bed. Mapp
claimed it was not
hers.
Jake and Will
7. Issue
Does the illegally
obtained evidence
found in Mrs. Mapp's
Home violate the 4th
Amendment and be
acceptable in court?
Jake and Will
8. Precedents
Olmstead v. U.S.
(1928): The Court
forbade the
introduction of
evidence if obtained
by government
officers through a
violation of the
Fourth Amendment.
Wolf v. Colorado
(1949):The Court held
that in a prosecution in
a State court for a State
crime, the Fourteenth
Amendment does not
forbid the admission of
evidence obtained by
an unreasonable search
and seizure.
Jake and Will
9. Decisions and Reasoning
The court ignored the 1st
amendment and announced “all
evidence obtained by searches
and seizures in violation of the
constitution is, by the Fourth
Amendment, inadmissible in a
state court.” No government
level could use illegal
evidence in trial.
Jake and Will
10. Effects and Conclusion
When police search for an
object with a search
warrant and obtain another
object, the individual can
not get arrested.
Jake and Will
11. Opinion
The search
warrant is
for a specific
object
(Bomb).
If the police find
something else
(Pornographic
Tapes) it should
NOT be legal to
arrest the
suspect.
Jake and Will