Schneckloth v. Bustamonte | |
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Argued October 10, 1972 Decided May 29, 1973 |
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Full case name | Merle R. SCHNECKLOTH, Superintendent, California Conservation Center, Petitioner v. Robert Clyde BUSTAMONTE |
Citations | 412 U.S. 218 (more)
93 S.Ct. 2041
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Argument | Oral argument |
Holding | |
Consent searches are constitutional, and that the government must show that consent existed. However, a defendant, under the Fifth Amendment, need not necessarily know of his right to object to a consent search. This differentiates the case from Miranda v. Arizona, where the Court held that a defendant must know of his/her rights against self-incrimination in the course of an interrogation. | |
Court membership | |
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Case opinions | |
Plurality | Stewart, joined by Burger, White, Rehnquist |
Concurrence | Blackmun |
Concurrence | Powell, joined by Burger, Rehnquist |
Dissent | Douglas |
Dissent | Brennan |
Dissent | Marshall |
Laws applied | |
United States Constitution, Amendment IV |
Schneckloth v. Bustamonte, 412 U.S. 218 (1973), was a U.S. Supreme Court case in which the high court ruled that in a case involving a consent search, while knowledge of a right to refuse consent is a factor to be taken into account, the state does not need to prove that the one who is giving permission to search knows that he has a right to withhold his consent under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
A vehicle containing six individuals was pulled over for a broken headlight and license plate light. The driver and three passengers were unable to produce a drivers license. Alcala, a fourth passenger, was the brother of the vehicle's owner and was able to produce a drivers license. Alcala consented to a search of the vehicle and three stolen checks were recovered as a result.
The court held that consent searches are constitutional, and that the government must show that consent existed. However, a defendant under the Fifth Amendment need not necessarily know of his right to object to a consent search. This differentiates the case from Miranda v. Arizona, where the Court held that a defendant must know of his/her rights against self-incrimination in the course of an interrogation.