Steagald v. United States (1980)
- Docket
- 79-6777
- Decided
- 1980-01-01
Summary
Question: Does the Fourth Amendment prevent police officers from searching for a suspect in the home of a third party without obtaining a warrant? Conclusion: Yes. Justice Thurgood Marshall delivered the opinion of the 7-2 majority. The Court held that the Fourth Amendment prevents all warrantless searches of homes unless there are clearly exigent circumstances. Although the officers in this case did have a warrant to arrest Lyons, their warrant did not extend to the search of Steagald’s home, and there was no judicial oversight to determine if there were grounds for such an extension. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger concurred in the judgment. Justice William H. Rehnquist dissented and argued that, if the police possess a valid search warrant and believe the subject is in a third party’s residence, they can reasonably execute a search to carry out the arrest warrant. The arrest warrant can serve as a search warrant because it functions to limit the scope of the search. He also argued that the state has a compelling interest in a search because of the inherent mobility of the subject. Justice Byron R. White joined the dissent.