Mapp v. Ohio (1961) significantly impacted searches related to the Fourth Amendment, particularly concerning the exclusionary rule. The Supreme Court ruled that evidence obtained through illegal searches and seizures cannot be used in state courts, thereby extending protections against unlawful searches to state-level prosecutions. This decision reinforced the need for law enforcement to adhere to constitutional standards when conducting searches, influencing how police obtain evidence nationwide.
The parties in Mapp v. Ohio were Dolree "Dolly" Mapp, the petitioner/appellant, and the State of Ohio, the respondent/appellee.Case Citation:Mapp v. Ohio, 367 US 643 (1961)For more information, see Related Questions, below.
Mapp v. Ohio, 367 US 643 (1961)Dollree Mapp was African-American.To view a picture of Dollree Mapp, see Related Links, below.
Mapp v. Ohio, 367 US 643 (1961)The case was argued on March 29, 1961. The US Supreme Court released its decision on June 19, 1961.For more information, see Related Questions, below.
Mapp v. Ohio, 367 US 643 (1961)The Court heard oral arguments for Mapp on March 29, 1961 and rendered their decision on June 19, 1961, during the first six months of President John F. Kennedy's administration.For more information, see Related Questions, below.
The primary result of Mapp v. Ohio, (1961) was that the US Supreme Court incorporated the Fourth Amendment to the States and applied the Exclusionary Rule originally established in Weeks v. US, (1914). The Exclusionary Rule prohibits the prosecution from using evidence obtained illegally (in this case, as the result of wrongful search and seizure) to convict the defendant.More InformationDollree Mapp won her US Supreme Court case, Mapp v. Ohio,(1961), by a vote of 6-3, and her conviction for possession of pornography was vacated, ending the seven-year prison sentence Ohio imposed in 1958.Although Mapp's attorney argued originally argued the Ohio law under which Mapp was convicted was unconstitutional because it was overbroad and infringed on her First Amendment rights, the Supreme Court ultimately decided the case on the basis of a Fourth Amendment search and seizure violation, incorporating that Amendment to the states and extending the federal "exclusionary rule" to prohibit illegally obtained evidence from being used against the defendant in court.Case Citation:Mapp v. Ohio, 367 US 643 (1961)
The Appellant, or Petitioner, in Mapp v. Ohio was Dolree "Dolly" Mapp, a Cleveland woman convicted of possessing obscene materials after police conducted an illegal search of her home because they thought she was harboring a suspect in the bombing of legendary boxing promoter Don King's home. The Appellee, or Respondent, was the State of Ohio, which was defending a challenge of the state statute under which Mapp was convicted as being constitutionally overbroad under the First Amendment.The Fourth Amendment issue was introduced in an Amicus brief written by the ACLU, and not argued as part of the case before the Supreme Court.Case Citation:Mapp v. Ohio, 367 US 643 (1961)For more information, see Related Questions, below.
The chief justice during the Mapp v. Ohio case, decided in 1961, was Earl Warren. The Supreme Court ruled that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, cannot be used in state courts. This landmark decision extended the exclusionary rule to the states, reinforcing the protection of individual rights against unlawful search and seizure.
Mapp v Ohio, 367 US 643 (1961)Mapp v Ohio didn't change the Constitution, it simply incorporated the Fourth Amendment to the states, requiring them to adhere to that portion of the Bill of Rights and to follow the "exclusionary rule" established in Weeks v US, (1914).For more information, see Related Questions, below.
The police were acting on an anonymous tip.Case Citation:Mapp v. Ohio, 367 US 643 (1961)
having obscene books
Mapp v. Ohio, 367 US 643 (1961)Justice Tom C. Clark wrote the majority opinion, and Justice John M. Harlan II wrote the dissenting opinion.For more information, see Related Questions below.
Mapp v. Ohio, 367 US 643 (1961)Petitioner: MappAttorney: A. L. KearnsAmici: Bernard Berkman (ACLU, argued for reversal of Ohio Supreme Court decision)Respondent: State of OhioAttorney: Gertrude Bauer MahonFor more information, see Related Questions, below.