Opinion · Supreme Court of the United States

Illinois v. McArthur

531 U.S. 326

Type
Opinion
Court
Supreme Court of the United States
Jurisdiction
Federal
Date
2001-02-20
Topic
general

How later courts describe this case

  • holding that police impoundment of residence that restrained defendant from entering until warrant could be obtained was proper
  • concluding that a warrantless seizure of a person to prevent him from returning to his trailer to destroy hidden contraband was reasonable "[i]n the circumstances of the case before us" due to exigency
  • holding that police did not violate defendant's Fourth Amendment rights by preventing him from entering his home unaccompanied given exigent circumstances
  • concluding that a police seizure of defendant for two hours to prevent him from entering home and destroying marijuana evidence was reasonable
  • holding that the police may reasonably deny a suspect entry to his own home to prevent the destruction of evidence
  • holding that it is reasonable for an officer to condition reentry on the condition that the officers accompany the suspect
  • holding that permitting reentry conditioned on observation by the police officer from inside the doorway of the home was a reasonable restriction
  • noting that general or individual circumstances, including "diminished expectations of privacy," may justify an exception to the warrant requirement

Citator

UpLaw has not yet analyzed Illinois v. McArthur. The absence of a flag is not a finding that it is good law.

Cited by
690 opinions

Headnotes

  1. Criminal Law & Procedure — Fourth Amendment The central requirement of the Fourth Amendment is reasonableness; although seizures of personal property are ordinarily unreasonable absent a warrant, exceptions exist for special law enforcement needs, diminished expectations of privacy, minimal intrusions, and similar circumstances, and where such circumstances are present the court balances the privacy-related and law enforcement-related concerns rather than applying a per se rule of unreasonableness. 531 U.S. 326, 330–331 (2001)
  2. Criminal Law & Procedure — Warrantless Seizure of Premises Police officers acted reasonably, and did not violate the Fourth Amendment, when, having probable cause to believe a home contained contraband, they briefly barred the resident from entering the home unaccompanied while they diligently obtained a search warrant, where the restraint was tailored to the pressing need to prevent destruction of the evidence, was limited in time and scope, and avoided a warrantless entry or arrest. 531 U.S. 326, 332–334 (2001)
  3. Criminal Law & Procedure — Preservation of Evidence A temporary seizure of premises supported by probable cause and designed to prevent the loss of evidence while police diligently obtain a warrant within a reasonable period is lawful; the Court has found no case holding such a seizure unlawful. 531 U.S. 326, 334–337 (2001)
  4. Criminal Law & Procedure — Constructive Eviction An order directing a suspect to remain outside his home does not amount to an impermissible constructive eviction merely because the suspect stood on his porch, since a person standing in the doorway of a house is in a public place, and the distinction between porch and front walk does not significantly affect the reasonableness of the restraint. 531 U.S. 326, 335–336 (2001)
  5. Criminal Law & Procedure — Scope of Restraint Where a greater restraint on reentry into a home is reasonable, the lesser restraint of permitting reentry conditioned on police observation is likewise reasonable. 531 U.S. 326, 336 (2001)
  6. Criminal Law & Procedure — Minor Offenses The need to preserve evidence of a jailable offense may be sufficiently urgent to justify temporarily restricting a resident's entry into his home, and this restriction is less intrusive than a warrantless entry into the home to arrest or search; the penalty attaching to an offense provides the clearest indication of the State's interest in enforcement. 531 U.S. 326, 336–337 (2001)