Steagald v. United States

Steagald v. United States

Argued January 14, 1981
Decided April 21, 1981
Full case name Gary Steagald v. United States
Citations

451 U.S. 204 (more)

101 S.Ct. 1642; 68 L.Ed.2d 38
Prior history 606 F.2d 540, 615 F.2d 642 (denying certiorari)
Holding
An arrest warrant is not sufficient under the Fourth Amendment to search the home of a third party unless exigent circumstances are present.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Warren E. Burger
Case opinions
Majority Marshall, joined by Brennan, Stewart, Blackmun, Powell, Stevens
Concurrence Burger
Dissent Rehnquist, joined by White
Laws applied
U.S. Const. amend. IV
21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 846

Steagald v. United States, 451 U.S. 204 (1981), was a United States Supreme Court case based on the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Background

In early January 1978, an agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was contacted in Detroit, Mich., by a confidential informant who suggested that he might be able to locate Ricky Lyons, a federal fugitive wanted on drug charges. On January 14, 1978, the informant called the agent again, and gave him a telephone number in the Atlanta, Ga., area where, according to the informant, Ricky Lyons could be reached during the next 24 hours. On January 16, 1978, th agent called fellow DEA Agent Kelly Goodowens in Atlanta and relayed the information he had obtained from the informant. Goodowens contacted Southern Bell Telephone Co., and secured the address corresponding to the telephone number obtained by the informant. Goodowens also discovered that Lyons was the subjects of a 6-month-old arrest warrant.

Two days later, Goodowens and 11 other officers drove to the address supplied by the telephone company to search for Lyons. The officers observed two men standing outside the house to be searched. These men were Hoyt Gaultney and petitioner Gary Steagald. The officers approached with guns drawn, frisked both men, and after demanding identification, determined that neither man was Lyons. Several agents proceeded to the house. Gaultney's wife answered the door, and informed the agents that she was alone in the house. She was told to place her hands against the wall and was guarded in that position while one agent searched the house. Ricky Lyons was not found, but during the search of the house the agent observed what he believed to be cocaine. Upon being informed of this discovery, Agent Goodowens sent an officer to obtain a search warrant and in the meantime conducted a second search of the house, which uncovered additional incriminating evidence. During a third search conducted pursuant to a search warrant, the agents uncovered 43 pounds of cocaine. Petitioner was arrested and indicted on federal drug charges.

See also

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