Mapp v. Ohio

Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643 (1961), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court.

Police officers entered Dollree Mapp’s home without a warrant, claiming to search for a bombing suspect. They did not find the suspect but discovered obscene materials. Mapp was convicted under Ohio law for possessing obscene materials. She appealed, arguing that the evidence was obtained through an illegal search.

Significance

Justice Clark’s 5-3 opinion held that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment is inadmissible in state criminal proceedings — the ’exclusionary rule’ applies to the states. Overruling Wolf v. Colorado (1949), the Court reasoned that the right of privacy protected by the Fourth Amendment would be meaningless without a remedy for its violation. Mapp dramatically changed criminal procedure by requiring state courts to exclude illegally obtained evidence, leading to the development of extensive search and seizure jurisprudence.

Category

US Federal Case Law