Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
Key Excerpts from the Concurring Opinion

The case was decided six to three.
Justice Black delivered a concurring opinion.

. . . .

I am still not persuaded that the Fourth Amendment, standing alone, would be enough to bar the introduction into evidence against an accused of papers and effects seized from him in violation of its commands. For the Fourth Amendment does not itself contain any provision expressly precluding the use of such evidence, and I am extremely doubtful that such a provision could properly be inferred from nothing more than the basic command against unreasonable searches and seizures. Reflection on the problem, however, in the light of cases coming before the Court since Wolf, has led me to conclude that when the Fourth Amendment's ban against unreasonable searches and seizures is considered together with the Fifth Amendment's ban against compelled self-incrimination, a constitutional basis emerges which not only justifies but actually requires the exclusionary rule.

. . . .


Questions to Consider:

  1. Does Justice Black agree or disagree with the exclusionary rule?
     
  2. How does his reasoning differ from that in the majority opinion?
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Diagram of How the Case Moved Through the Court System
 
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Key Excerpts from the Majority Opinion
 
Key Excerpts from the Concurring Opinion
 
Key Excerpts from the Dissenting Opinion
 
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Activities
    The Case
Search Warrants: What Are They and How Do They Work?
 
When Is a Search Warrant Not Necessary? Every People Response Activity
 

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    After the Case
Friend or Foe: Debating the Exclusionary Rule, Part I
 
Friend or Foe: Debating the Exclusionary Rule, Part II
 
The Exclusionary Rule in a Computer-Driven Society: The Case of Arizona v. Evans (1995)
 

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