Miller v. United States
Miller v. United States | |||||||
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Argued January 28, 1958 Decided June 23, 1958 | |||||||
Full case name | William Miller v. United States | ||||||
Citations |
78 S.Ct. 1190; 2 L.Ed.2d 1332 | ||||||
Prior history | 100 U.S. App. D.C. 302, 244 F.2d 750 | ||||||
Holding | |||||||
Petitioner could not lawfully be arrested in his home by officers breaking in without first giving him notice of their authority and purpose, the arrest was unlawful, the evidence seized was inadmissible, and the conviction is reversed. | |||||||
Court membership | |||||||
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Case opinions | |||||||
Majority | Brennan |
Miller v. United States, 357 U.S. 301 (1958), was a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court, which held that one could not lawfully be arrested in one's home by officers breaking in without first giving one notice of their authority and purpose.
In the District of Columbia, officers without a warrant knocked on the door of William Miller's apartment and upon his inquiry, "Who's there?" replied in a low voice, "Police." Miller opened the door but quickly tried to close it, whereupon the officers broke the door, entered, arrested petitioner and seized marked bills which were later admitted as evidence over Miller's objection at a trial in which he was convicted of violations of the narcotics laws.
The Supreme Court ruled that the arrest was unlawful, the evidence seized was inadmissible, and the conviction is reversed.
See also
Further reading
- Blakey, G. Robert (1964). "The Rule of Announcement and Unlawful Entry: Miller v. United States and Ker v. California". University of Pennsylvania Law Review (The University of Pennsylvania Law Review) 112 (4): 499–562. doi:10.2307/3310634. JSTOR 3310634.