u.S.

Supreme CourL
!"##$%% '( )(*(+ ,-. )(*( /0, 1/2,34
,-. )(*( /0,
!"##$%% 56 78(
'(
)9:;<= *;";<*(
9>( /3(
#57?@A5B 7CB *ADEF665B G7?HI /J+ /2,J(
=5HFB5B G7?HI ,+ /2,3(
[267 u.S. 132, 136] Messrs. 1homas L. ALklnson and Clare !. Pall, boLh of Crand 8aplds,
Mlch., for plalnLlffs ln error.
[267 u.S. 132, 143] 1he ALLorney Ceneral and Mr. !ames M. 8eck, Sol. Cen., of
WashlngLon, u. C., for Lhe unlLed SLaLes.
Mr. Chlef !usLlce 1Al1, afLer sLaLlng Lhe case as above, dellvered Lhe oplnlon of Lhe
CourL.
1he consLlLuLlonal and sLaLuLory provlslons lnvolved ln Lhls case lnclude Lhe lourLh
AmendmenL and Lhe naLlonal rohlblLlon AcL.
1he lourLh AmendmenL ls ln parL as follows:
'1he rlghL of Lhe people Lo be secure ln Lhelr persons, houses, papers and effecLs agalnsL
unreasonable searches and selzures shall noL be vlolaLed, and no warranLs shall lssue
buL upon probable cause, supporLed by oaLh or afflrmaLlon, and parLlcularly descrlblng
Lhe place Lo be searched, and Lhe persons or Lhlngs Lo be selzed.'
SecLlon 23, LlLle 2, of Lhe naLlonal rohlblLlon AcL, c. 83, 41 SLaL. 303, 313, passed Lo
enforce Lhe LlghLeenLh AmendmenL, makes lL unlawful Lo have or possess any llquor
lnLended for use ln vlolaLlng Lhe acL, or whlch has been so used, and provldes LhaL no
properLy rlghLs shall exlsL ln such lnquor. A search warranL may lssue and such llquor,
wlLh Lhe conLalners Lhereof, may be selzed under Lhe warranL and be ulLlmaLely
desLroyed. 1he secLlon furLher provldes:
'no search warranL shall lssue Lo search any prlvaLe dwelllng occupled as such unless lL ls
belng used for Lhe unlawful sale of lnLoxlcaLlng llquor, or unless lL ls ln parL used for
some buslness purpose such as a sLore, shop, saloon, resLauranL, hoLel, or boarlng
house. 1he Lerm 'prlvaLe dwelllng' shall be consLrued Lo lnclude Lhe room or rooms used
and occupled noL LranslenLly buL solely as [267 u.S. 132, 144] a resldence ln an
aparLmenL house, hoLel, or boardlng house.'
SecLlon 26, LlLle 2, under whlch Lhe selzure hereln was made, provldes ln parL as follows:
'When Lhe commlssloner, hls asslsLanLs, lnspecLors, or any offlcer of Lhe law shall
dlscover any person ln Lhe acL of LransporLlng ln vlolaLlon of Lhe law, lnLoxlcaLlng llquors
ln any wagon, buggy, auLomoblle, waLer or alr crafL, or oLher vehlcle, lL shall be hls duLy
Lo selze any and all lnLoxlcaLlng llquors found Lhereln belng LransporLed conLrary Lo law.
Whenever lnLoxlcaLlng llquors LransporLed or possessed lllegally shall be selzed by an
offlcer he shall Lake possesslon of Lhe vehlcle and Leam or auLomoblle, boaL, alr or waLer
crafL, or any oLher conveyance, and shall arresL any person ln charge Lhereof.'
1he secLlon Lhen provldes LhaL Lhe courL upon convlcLlon of Lhe person so arresLed shall
order Lhe llquor desLroyed, and excepL for good cause shown shall order a sale by publlc
aucLlon of Lhe oLher properLy selzed, and LhaL Lhe proceeds shall be pald lnLo Lhe
1reasury of Lhe unlLed SLaLes.
8y secLlon 6 of an acL supplemenLal Lo Lhe naLlonal rohlblLlon AcL ( 42 SLaL. 222, 223, c.
134 [Comp. SL. Ann. Supp. 1923, 10184a]) lL ls provlded LhaL lf any offlcer or agenL or
employee of Lhe unlLed SLaLes engaged ln Lhe enforcemenL of Lhe rohlblLlon AcL or Lhls
AmendmenL, 'shall search any prlvaLe dwelllng,' as deflned ln LhaL acL, 'wlLhouL a
warranL dlrecLlng such search,' or 'shall wlLhouL a search warranL mallclously and
wlLhouL reasonable cause search any oLher bulldlng or properLy,' he shall be gullLy of a
mlsdemeanor and sub[ecL Lo flne or lmprlsonmenL or boLh.
ln Lhe passage of Lhe supplemenLal acL Lhrough Lhe SenaLe, amendmenL no. 32, known
as Lhe SLanley AmendmenL, was adopLed, Lhe relevanL parL of whlch was as follows:
'Sec. 6. 1haL any offlcer, agenL or employee of Lhe unlLed SLaLes engaged ln Lhe
enforcemenL of Lhls acL or [267 u.S. 132, 143] Lhe naLlonal rohlblLlon AcL, or any
oLher law of Lhe unlLed SLaLes, who shall search or aLLempL Lo search Lhe properLy or
premlses of any person wlLhouL prevlously securlng a search warranL, as provlded by
law, shall be gullLy of a mlsdemeanor and upon convlcLlon Lhereof shall be flned noL Lo
exceed $1,000, or lmprlsoned noL Lo exceed one year, or boLh so flned and lmprlsoned
ln Lhe dlscreLlon of Lhe courL.'
1hls amendmenL was ob[ecLed Lo ln Lhe Pouse, and Lhe [udlclary commlLLee, Lo whom lL
was referred, reporLed Lo Lhe Pouse of 8epresenLaLlves Lhe followlng as a subsLlLuLe:
'Sec. 6. 1haL no offlcer, agenL or employee of Lhe unlLed SLaLes, whlle engaged ln Lhe
enforcemenL of Lhls acL, Lhe naLlonal rohlblLlon AcL, or any law ln reference Lo Lhe
manufacLure or LaxaLlon of, or Lrafflc ln, lnLoxlcaLlng llquor, shall search any prlvaLe
dwelllng wlLhouL a warranL dlrecLlng such search, and no such warranL shall lssue unless
Lhere ls reason Lo belleve such dwelllng ls used as a place ln whlch llquor ls
manufacLured for sale or sold. 1he Lerm 'prlvaLe dwelllng' shall be consLrued Lo lnclude
Lhe room or rooms occupled noL LranslenLly, buL solely as a resldence ln an aparLmenL
house, hoLel, or boardlng house. Any vlolaLlon of any provlslon of Lhls paragraph shall be
punlshed by a flne of noL Lo exceed $1,000 or lmprlsonmenL noL Lo exceed one year, or
boLh such flne and lmprlsonmenL, ln Lhe dlscreLlon of Lhe courL.'
ln lLs reporL Lhe commlLLee spoke ln parL as follows:
'lL appeared Lo Lhe commlLLee LhaL Lhe effecL of Lhe SenaLe amendmenL no. 32, lf
agreed Lo by Lhe Pouse, would greaLly crlpple Lhe enforcemenL of Lhe naLlonal
rohlblLlon AcL and would oLherwlse serlously lnLerfere wlLh Lhe governmenL ln Lhe
enforcemenL of many oLher laws, as lLs scope ls noL llmlLed Lo Lhe prohlblLlon law, [267
u.S. 132, 146] buL applles equally Lo all laws where prompL acLlon ls necessary. 1here
are on Lhe sLaLuLe books of Lhe unlLed SLaLes a number of laws auLhorlzlng search
wlLhouL a search warranL. under Lhe common law and agreeable Lo Lhe ConsLlLuLlon
search may ln many cases be legally made wlLhouL a warranL. 1he ConsLlLuLlon does noL
forbld search, as some parLles conLend, buL lL does forbld unreasonable search. 1hls
provlslon ln regard Lo search ls as a rule conLalned ln Lhe varlous sLaLe ConsLlLuLlons, buL
noLwlLhsLandlng LhaL facL search wlLhouL a warranL ls permlLLed ln many cases, and
especlally ls LhaL Lrue ln Lhe enforcemenL of llquor leglslaLlon.
'1he SenaLe amendmenL prohlblLs all search or aLLempL Lo search any properLy or
premlses wlLhouL a search warranL. 1he effecL of LhaL would necessarlly be Lo prohlblL
all search, as no search can Lake place lf lL ls noL on some properLy or premlses.
'noL only does Lhls amendmenL prohlblL search of any lands buL lL prohlblLs Lhe search
of all properLy. lL wlll prevenL Lhe search of Lhe common booLlegger and hls sLock ln
Lrade, Lhough caughL and arresLed ln Lhe acL of vlolaLlng Lhe law. 8uL whaL ls perhaps
more serlous, lL wlll make lL lmposslble Lo sLop Lhe rum-runnlng auLomoblles engaged ln
llke lllegal Lrafflc. lL would Lake from Lhe offlcers Lhe power LhaL Lhey absoluLely musL
have Lo be of any servlce, for lf Lhey cannoL search for llquor wlLhouL a warranL Lhey
mlghL as well be dlscharged. lL ls lmposslble Lo geL a warranL Lo sLop an auLomoblle.
8efore a warranL could be secured Lhe auLomoblle would be beyond Lhe reach of Lhe
offlcer wlLh lLs load of lllegal llquor dlsposed of.'
1he conference reporL resulLed, so far as Lhe dlfference beLween Lhe Lwo houses was
concerned, ln provldlng for Lhe punlshmenL of any offlcer, agenL, or employee of Lhe
governmenL who searches a 'prlvaLe dwelllng' wlLhouL a warranL, and for Lhe
punlshmenL of any such offlcer, [267 u.S. 132, 147] eLc., who searches any 'oLher
bulldlng or properLy' where, and only where, he makes Lhe search wlLhouL a warranL
'mallclously and wlLhouL probable cause.' ln oLher words, lL lefL Lhe way open for
searchlng an auLomoblle or vehlcle of LransporLaLlon wlLhouL a warranL, lf Lhe search
was noL mallclous or wlLhouL probable cause.
1he lnLenL of Congress Lo make a dlsLlncLlon beLween Lhe necesslLy for a search warranL
ln Lhe searchlng of prlvaLe dwelllngs and ln LhaL of auLomoblles and oLher road vehlcles
ln Lhe enforcemenL of Lhe rohlblLlon AcL ls Lhus clearly esLabllshed by Lhe leglslaLlve
hlsLory of Lhe SLanley AmendmenL. ls such a dlsLlncLlon conslsLenL wlLh Lhe lourLh
AmendmenL? We Lhlnk LhaL lL ls, 1he lourLh AmendmenL does noL denounce all
searches or selzures, buL only such as are unreasonable.
1he leadlng case on Lhe sub[ecL of search and selzure ls 8oyd v. unlLed SLaLes, 116 u.S.
616 , 6 S. CL. 324. An AcL of Congress of !une 22, 1874 (18 SLaL. 187), auLhorlzed a courL
of Lhe unlLed SLaLes ln revenue cases, on moLlon of Lhe governmenL aLLorney, Lo requlre
Lhe defendanL Lo produce ln courL hls prlvaLe books, lnvolces, and papers on paln ln case
of refusal of havlng Lhe allegaLlons of Lhe aLLorney ln hls moLlon Laken as confessed. 1hls
was held Lo be unconsLlLuLlonal and vold as applled Lo sulLs for penalLles or Lo esLabllsh
a forfelLure of goods, on Lhe ground LhaL under Lhe lourLh AmendmenL Lhe compulsory
producLlon of lnvolces Lo furnlsh evldence for forfelLure of goods consLlLuLed an
unreasonable search even where made upon a search warranL, and was also a vlolaLlon
of Lhe llfLh AmendmenL, ln LhaL lL compelled Lhe defendanL ln a crlmlnal case Lo
produce evldence agalnsL hlmself or be ln Lhe aLLlLude of confesslng hls gullL.
ln Weeks v. unlLed SLaLes, 232 u.S. 383 , 34 S. CL. 341, L. 8. A. 19138, 834, Ann. Cas.
1913C, 1177, lL was held LhaL a courL ln a crlmlnal prosecuLlon could noL reLaln leLLers of
Lhe accused selzed ln hls house, ln hls absence and wlLhouL hls auLhorlLy, by a unlLed
SLaLes marshal [267 u.S. 132, 148] holdlng no warranL for hls arresL and none for Lhe
search of hls premlses, Lo be used as evldence agalnsL hlm, Lhe accused havlng made
Llmely appllcaLlon Lo Lhe courL for an order for Lhe reLurn of Lhe leLLers.
ln SllverLhorne Lumber Co. v. unlLed SLaLes, 231 u.S. 383 , 40 S. CL. 182, a wrlL of error
was broughL Lo reverse a [udgmenL of conLempL of Lhe ulsLrlcL CourL, flnlng Lhe
company and lmprlsonlng one SllverLhorne, lLs presldenL, unLll he should purge hlmself
of conLempL ln noL produclng books and documenLs of Lhe company before Lhe grand
[ury Lo prove vlolaLlon of Lhe sLaLuLes of Lhe unlLed SLaLes by Lhe company and
SllverLhorne. SllverLhorne had been arresLed, and whlle under arresL Lhe marshal had
gone Lo Lhe offlce of Lhe company wlLhouL a warranL and made a clean sweep of all
books, papers, and documenLs found Lhere and had Laken coples and phoLographs of
Lhe papers. 1he ulsLrlcL CourL ordered Lhe reLurn of Lhe orlglnals, buL lmpounded Lhe
phoLographs and coples. 1hls was held Lo be an unreasonable search of Lhe properLy
and possesslons of Lhe corporaLlon and a vlolaLlon of Lhe lourLh AmendmenL and Lhe
[udgmenL for conLempL was reversed.
ln Couled v. unlLed SLaLes, 233 u.S. 298 , 41 S. CL. 261, Lhe obLalnlng Lhrough sLealLh by
a represenLaLlve of Lhe governmenL from Lhe offlce of one suspecLed of defraudlng Lhe
governmenL of a paper whlch had no pecunlary value ln lLself, buL was only Lo be used
as evldence agalnsL lLs owner, was held Lo be a vlolaLlon of Lhe lourLh AmendmenL. lL
was furLher held LhaL when Lhe paper was offered ln evldence and duly ob[ecLed Lo lL
musL be ruled lnadmlsslble because obLalned Lhrough an unreasonable search and
selzure and also ln vlolaLlon of Lhe llfLh AmendmenL because worklng compulsory
lncrlmlnaLlon.
ln Amos v. unlLed SLaLes, 233 u.S. 313 , 41 S. CL. 266, lL was held LhaL where concealed
llquor was found by governmenL offlcers wlLhouL a search warranL ln Lhe home of Lhe
defendanL, [267 u.S. 132, 149] ln hls absence, and afLer a demand made upon hls wlfe,
lL was lnadmlsslble as evldence agalnsL Lhe defendanL, because acqulred by an
unreasonable selzure.
ln none of Lhe cases clLed ls Lhere any rullng as Lo Lhe valldlLy under Lhe lourLh
AmendmenL of a selzure wlLhouL a warranL of conLraband goods ln Lhe course of
LransporLaLlon and sub[ecL Lo forfelLure or desLrucLlon.
Cn reason and auLhorlLy Lhe Lrue rule ls LhaL lf Lhe search and selzure wlLhouL a warranL
are made upon probable cause, LhaL ls, upon a bellef, reasonably arlslng ouL of
clrcumsLaces known Lo Lhe selzlng offlcer, LhaL an auLomoblle or oLher vehlcle conLalns
LhaL whlch by law ls sub[ecL Lo selzure and desLrucLlon, Lhe search and selzure are valld.
1he lourLh AmendmenL ls Lo be consLrued ln Lhe llghL of whaL was deemed an
unreasonable search and selzure when lL was adopLed, and ln a manner whlch wlll
conserve publlc lnLeresLs as well as Lhe lnLeresLs and rlghLs of lndlvldual clLlzens.
ln 8oyd v. unlLed SLaLes, 116 u.S. 616 , 6 S. CL. 324, as already sald, Lhe declslon dld noL
Lurn on wheLher a reasonable search mlghL be made wlLhouL a warranL, buL for Lhe
purpose of showlng Lhe prlnclple on whlch Lhe lourLh AmendmenL proceeds, and Lo
avold any mlsapprehenslon of whaL was declded, Lhe courL, speaklng Lhrough Mr.
!usLlce 8radley, used language whlch ls of parLlcular slgnlflcance and appllcablllLy here.
lL was Lhere sald (page 623 [6 S. CL. 328]):
'1he search for and selzure of sLolen or forfelLed goods, or goods llable Lo duLles and
concealed Lo avold Lhe paymenL Lhereof, are LoLally dlfferenL Lhlngs from a search for
and selzure of a man's prlvaLe books and papers for Lhe purpose of obLalnlng
lnformaLlon Lhereln conLalned, or of uslng Lhem as evldence agalnsL hlm. 1he Lwo Lhlngs
dlffer LoLo coelo. ln Lhe one case, Lhe governmenL ls enLlLled Lo Lhe possesslon of Lhe
properLy, ln Lhe oLher lL ls noL. 1he selzure of sLolen goods ls auLhorlzed by Lhe [267 u.S.
132, 130] common law, and Lhe selzure of goods forfelLed for a breach of Lhe revenue
laws, or concealed Lo avold Lhe duLles payable on Lhem, has been auLhorlzed by Lngllsh
sLaLuLes for aL leasL Lwo cenLurles pasL, and Lhe llke selzures have been auLhorlzed by
our own revenue acLs from Lhe commencemenL of Lhe governmenL. 1he flrsL sLaLuLe
passed by Congress Lo regulaLe Lhe collecLlon of dulLes, Lhe AcL of !uly 31, 1789, 1 SLaL.
29, 43, conLalns provlslons Lo Lhls effecL. As Lhls acL was passed by Lhe same Congress
whlch proposed for adopLlon Lhe orlglnal amendmenLs Lo Lhe ConsLlLuLlon, lL ls clear
LhaL Lhe members of LhaL body dld noL regard searches and selzures of Lhls klnd as
'unreasonable,' and Lhey are noL embraced wlLhln Lhe prohlblLlon of Lhe amendmenL.
So, also, Lhe supervlslon auLhorlzed Lo be exerclsed by offlcers of Lhe revenue over Lhe
manufacLure or cusLody of exclsable arLlcles, and Lhe enLrles Lhereof ln books requlred
by law Lo be kepL for Lhelr lnspecLlon, are necessarlly excepLed ouL of Lhe caLegory of
unreasonable searches and selzures. So, also, Lhe laws whlch provlde for Lhe search and
selzure of arLlcles and Lhlngs whlch lL ls unlawful for a person Lo have ln hls possesslon
for Lhe purpose of lssue or dlsposlLlon, such as counLerfelL coln, loLLery LlckeLs,
lmplemenLs of gambllng, eLc., are noL wlLhln Lhls caLegory. Common- welaLh v. uana, 2
MeLc. (Mass.) 329. Many oLher Lhlngs of Lhls characLer mlghL be enumeraLed.'
lL ls noLeworLhy LhaL Lhe LwenLy-fourLh secLlon of Lhe acL of 1789 Lo whlch Lhe courL
Lhere refers provldes:
'1haL every collecLor, naval offlcer and surveyor, or oLher person speclally appolnLed by
elLher of Lhem for LhaL purpose, shall have full power and auLhorlLy, Lo enLer any shlp or
vessel, ln whlch Lhey shall have reason Lo suspecL any goods, wares or merchandlse
sub[ecL Lo duLy shall be concealed, and Lhereln Lo search for, selze, and secure any such
goods, wares or merchandlse, and lf Lhey shall have cause Lo suspecL a concealmenL
Lhereof, ln any [267 u.S. 132, 131] parLlcular dwelllng house, sLore, bulldlng, or oLher
place, Lhey or elLher of Lhem shall, upon appllcaLlon on oaLh or afflrmaLlon Lo any [usLlce
of Lhe peace, be enLlLled Lo a warranL Lo enLer such house, sLore, or oLher place (ln Lhe
dayLlme only) and Lhere Lo search for such goods, and lf any shall be found, Lo selze and
secure Lhe same for Lrlal, and all such goods, wares and merchandlse, on whlch Lhe
duLles shall noL have been pald or secured, shall be forfelLed.' 1 SLaL. 43.
Llke provlslons were conLalned ln Lhe AcL of AugusL 4, 1790, c. 33, 48-31, 1 SLaL. 143,
170, ln secLlon 27 of Lhe AcL of lebruary 18, 1793, c. 8, 1 SLaL. 303, 313, and ln secLlons
68-71 of Lhe AcL of March 2, 1799, c. 22, 1 SLaL. 627, 677, 678.
1hus conLemporaneously wlLh Lhe adopLlon of Lhe lourLh AmendmenL we flnd ln Lhe
llrsL Congress, and ln Lhe followlng Second and lourLh Congresses, a dlfference made as
Lo Lhe necesslLy for a search warranL beLween goods sub[ecL Lo forfelLure, when
concealed ln a dwelllng house or slmllar place, and llke goods ln course of LransporLaLlon
and concealed ln a movable vessel where Lhey readlly could be puL ouL of reach of a
search warranL. Compare PesLer v. unlLed SLaLes, 263 u.S. 37 , 44 S. CL. 443.
Agaln, by Lhe second secLlon of Lhe AcL of March 3, 1813, 3 SLaL. 231, 232, lL was made
lawful for cusLoms offlcers, noL only Lo board and search vessels wlLhln Lhelr own and
ad[olnlng dlsLrlcLs, buL also Lo sLop, search, and examlne any vehlcle, beasL, or person on
whlch or whom Lhey should suspecL Lhere was merchandlse whlch was sub[ecL Lo duLy
or had been lnLroduced lnLo Lhe unlLed SLaLes ln any manner conLrary Lo law, wheLher
by Lhe person ln charge of Lhe vehlcle or beasL or oLherwlse, and lf Lhey should flnd any
goods, wares or merchandlse Lhereon, whlch Lhey had probable cause Lo belleve had
been so unlawfully broughL lnLo Lhe counLry, Lo selze and secure Lhe same, and Lhe
vehlcle or beasL as well, for Lrlal [267 u.S. 132, 132] and forfelLure. 1hls acL was
renewed Aprll 27, 1816 (3 SLaL. 313), for a year and explred. 1he AcL of lebruary 28,
1863, revlved secLlon 2 of Lhe AcL of 1813, above descrlbed, 13 SLaL. 441, c. 67. 1he
subsLance of Lhls secLlon was re-enacLed ln Lhe Lhlrd secLlon of Lhe AcL of !uly 18, 1866,
c. 201, 14 SLaL. 178, and was LhereafLer embodled ln Lhe 8evlsed SLaLuLes as secLlon
3061 (Comp. SL. 3763). nelLher secLlon 3061 nor any of lLs earller counLerparLs has ever
been aLLacked as unconsLlLuLlonal. lndeed, LhaL secLlon was referred Lo and LreaLed as
operaLlve by Lhls courL ln CoLzhausen v. nazro, 107 u.S. 213, 219 , 2 S. CL. 303. See, also,
unlLed SLaLes v. Cne 8lack Porse (u C.) 129 l. 167.
Agaln by secLlon 2140 of Lhe 8evlsed SLaLuLes (Comp. SL. 4141) any lndlan agenL,
subagenL or commander of a mlllLary posL ln Lhe lndlan counLry, havlng reason Lo
suspecL or belng lnformed LhaL any whlLe person or lndlan ls abouL Lo lnLroduce, or has
lnLroduced, any splrlLuous llquor or wlne lnLo Lhe lndlan counLry, ln vlolaLlon of law,
may cause Lhe boaLs, sLores, packages, wagons, sleds and places of deposlL of such
person Lo be searched and lf any llquor ls found Lhereln, Lhen lL, LogeLher wlLh Lhe
vehlcles, shall be selzed and and proceeded agalnsL by llbel ln Lhe proper courL and
forfelLed. SecLlon 2140 was Lhe ouLgrowLh of Lhe AcL of May 6, 1822, c. 38, 3 SLaL. 682,
auLhorlzlng lndlan agenLs Lo cause Lhe goods of Lraders ln Lhe lndlan counLry Lo be
searched upon susplclon or lnformaLlon LhaL ardenL splrlLs were belng lnLroduced lnLo
Lhe lndlan counLry Lo be selzed and forfelLed lf found, and of Lhe AcL of !une 30, 1834,
20, c. 161, 4 SLaL. 729, 732, enabllng an lndlan agenL havlng reason Lo suspecL any
person of havlng lnLroduced or belng abouL Lo lnLroduce llquors lnLo Lhe lndlan counLry
Lo cause Lhe boaL, sLores or places of deposlL of such person Lo be searched and Lhe
llquor found forfelLed. 1hls courL recognlzed Lhe sLaLuLe of 1822 as [usLlfylng such a
search and selzure ln Amerlcan lur Co. v. unlLed SLaLes, 2 eL. 338. 8y Lhe lndlan [267
u.S. 132, 133] ApproprlaLlon AcL of March 2, 1917, c. 146, 39 SLaL. 969, 970,
auLomoblles used ln lnLroduclng or aLLempLlng Lo lnLroduce lnLoxlcanLs lnLo Lhe lndlan
LerrlLory may be selzed, llbeled, and forfelLed as provlded ln Lhe 8evlsed SLaLuLes, 2140
And agaln ln Alaska, by secLlon 174 of Lhe AcL of March 3, 1899, c. 429, 30 SLaL. 1233,
1280, lL ls provlded LhaL collecLors and depuLy collecLors or any person auLhorlzed by
Lhem ln wrlLlng shall be glven power Lo arresL persons and selze vessels and
merchandlse ln Alaska llable Lo flne, penalLles, or forfelLure under Lhe acL and Lo keep
and dellver Lhe same, and Lhe ALLorney Ceneral, ln consLrulng Lhe acL, advlsed Lhe
governmenL:
'lf your agenLs reasonably suspecL LhaL a vlolaLlon of law has occurred, ln my oplnlon
Lhey have power Lo search any vessel wlLhln Lhe Lhree-mlle llmlL accordlng Lo Lhe
pracLlce of cusLoms offlcers when acLlng under secLlon 3039 of Lhe 8evlsed SLaLuLes
[Comp. SL. 3761], and Lo selze such vessels.' 26 Cp. ALLys. Cen. 243.
We have made a somewhaL exLended reference Lo Lhese sLaLuLes Lo show LhaL Lhe
guaranLy of freedom from unreasonable searches and selzures by Lhe lourLh
AmendmenL has been consLrued, pracLlcally slnce Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe governmenL, as
recognlzlng a necessary dlfference beLween a search of a sLore, dwelllng house, or oLher
sLrucLure ln respecL of whlch a proper offlclal warranL readlly may be obLalned and a
search of a shlp, moLor boaL, wagon, or auLomoblle for conLraband goods, where lL ls
noL pracLlcable Lo secure a warranL, because Lhe vehlcle can be qulckly moved ouL of Lhe
locallLy or [urlsdlcLlon ln whlch Lhe warranL musL be soughL.
Pavlng Lhus esLabllshed LhaL conLraband goods concealed and lllegally LransporLed ln an
auLomoblle or oLher vehlcle may be searched for wlLhouL a warranL, we come now Lo
conslder under whaL clrcumsLances such search may be made. lL would be lnLolerable
and unreasonable [267 u.S. 132, 134] lf a prohlblLlon agenL were auLhorlzed Lo sLop
every auLomoblle on Lhe chance of flndlng llquor, and Lhus sub[ecL all persons lawfully
uslng Lhe hlghways Lo Lhe lnconvenlence and lndlgnlLy of such a search. 1ravelers may
be so sLopped ln crosslng an lnLernaLlonal boundary because of naLlonal self-proLecLlon
reasonably requlrlng one enLerlng Lhe counLry Lo ldenLlfy hlmself as enLlLled Lo come ln,
and hls belonglngs as effecLs whlch may be lawfully broughL ln. 8uL Lhose lawfully wlLhln
Lhe counLry, enLlLled Lo use Lhe publlc hlghways, have a rlghL Lo free passage wlLhouL
lnLerrupLlon or search unless Lhere ls known Lo a compeLenL offlclal, auLhorlzed Lo
search, probable cause for bellevlng LhaL Lhelr vehlcles are carrylng conLraband or lllegal
merchandlse. SecLlon 26, LlLle 2, of Lhe naLlonal rohlblLlon AcL, llke Lhe second secLlon
of Lhe acL of 1789, for Lhe searchlng of vessels, llke Lhe provlslons of Lhe acL of 1813, and
secLlon 3601, 8evlsed SLaLuLes, for searchlng vehlcles for smuggled goods, and llke Lhe
acL of 1822, and LhaL of 1834 and secLlon 2140, 8. S., and Lhe acL of 1917 for Lhe search
of vehlcles and auLomoblles for llquor smuggled lnLo Lhe lndlan counLry, was enacLed
prlmarlly Lo accompllsh Lhe selzure and desLrucLlon of conLraband goods, secondly, Lhe
auLomoblle was Lo be forfelLed, and, Lhlrdly, Lhe drlver was Lo be arresLed. under
secLlon 29, LlLle 2, of Lhe acL Lhe laLLer mlghL be punlshed by noL more Lhan $300 flne for
Lhe flrsL offense, noL more Lhan $1,000 flne and 90 days' lmprlsonmenL for Lhe second
offense, and by a flne of $300 or more and by noL more Lhan 2 years' lmprlsonmenL for
Lhe Lhlrd offense. 1hus he ls Lo be arresLed for a mlsdemeanor for hls flrsL and second
offenses, and for a felony lf he offends Lhe Lhlrd Llme.
1he maln purpose of Lhe acL obvlously was Lo deal wlLh Lhe llquor and lLs LransporLaLlon,
and Lo desLroy lL. 1he mere manufacLure of llquor can do llLLle Lo defeaL Lhe pollcy of
Lhe LlghLeenLh AmendmenL and Lhe rohlblLlon AcL, unless Lhe for [267 u.S. 132,
133] bldden producL can be dlsLrlbuLed for lllegal sale and use. SecLlon 26 was lnLended
Lo reach and desLroy Lhe forbldden llquor ln LransporLaLlon and Lhe provlslons for
forfelLure of Lhe vehlcle and Lhe arresL of Lhe LransporLer were lncldenLal. 1he rule for
deLermlnlng whaL may be requlred before a selzure may be made by a compeLenL
selzlng offlclal ls noL Lo be deLermlned by Lhe characLer of Lhe penalLy Lo whlch Lhe
LransporLer may be sub[ecLed. under secLlon 28, LlLle 2, of Lhe rohlblLlon AcL, Lhe
Commlssloner of lnLernal 8evenue, hls asslsLanLs, agenLs and lnspecLors are Lo have Lhe
power and proLecLlon ln Lhe enforcemenL of Lhe acL conferred by Lhe exlsLlng laws
relaLlng Lo Lhe manufacLure or sale of lnLoxlcaLlng llquors. Cfflcers who selze under
secLlon 26 of Lhe rohlblLlon AcL are Lherefore proLecLed by secLlon 970 of Lhe 8evlsed
SLaLuLes (Comp. SL. 1611), provldlng LhaL:
'When, ln any prosecuLlon commenced on accounL of Lhe selzure of any vessel, goods,
wares, or merchandlse, made by any collecLor or oLher offlcer, under any acL of
Congress auLhorlzlng such selzure, [udgmenL ls rendered for Lhe clalmanL, buL lL appears
Lo Lhe courL LhaL Lhere was reasonable cause of selzure, Lhe courL shall cause a proper
cerLlflcaLe Lhereof Lo be enLered, and Lhe clalmanL shall noL, ln such case, be enLlLled Lo
cosLs, nor shall Lhe person who made Lhe selzure, nor Lhe prosecuLor, be llable Lo sulL or
[udgmenL on accounL of such sulL or prosecuLlon: rovlded, LhaL Lhe vessel, goods,
wares, or merchandlse be, afLer [udgmenL, forLhwlLh reLurned Lo such clalmanL or hls
agenL.'
lL follows from Lhls LhaL, lf an offlcer selzes an auLomblle or Lhe llquor ln lL wlLhouL a
warranL, and Lhe facLs as subsequenLly developed do noL [usLlfy a [udgmenL of
condemnaLlon and forfelLure, Lhe offlcer may escape cosLs or a sulL for damages by a
showlng LhaL he had reasonable or probable cause for Lhe selzure. SLacey v. Lmery, 97
u.S. 642 . 1he measure of legallLy of such a selzure ls, [267 u.S. 132, 136] Lherefore,
LhaL Lhe selzlng offlcer shall have reasonable or probable cause for bellevlng LhaL Lhe
anLomoblle whlch he sLops and selzes has conLraband llquor Lhereln whlch ls belng
lllegally LransporLed.
We here flnd Lhe llne of dlsLrlncLlon beLween legal and lllegal selzures of llquor ln
LransporL ln vehlcles. lL ls cerLalnly a reasonable dlsLlncLlon. lL glves Lhe owner of an
auLomoblle or oLher vehlcle selzed under secLlon 26, ln absence of probable cause, a
rlghL Lo have resLored Lo hlm Lhe auLomoblle, lL proLecLs hlm under Lhe Weeks and
Amos Cases from use of Lhe llquor as evldence agalnsL hlm, and lL sub[ecLs Lhe offlcer
maklng Lhe selzures Lo damages. Cn Lhe oLher hand, ln a case showlng probalbe cause,
Lhe governmenL and lLs offlclals are glven Lhe opporLunlLy whlch Lhey should have, Lo
make Lhe lnvesLlgaLlon necessary Lo Lrace reasonably suspecLed conLraband goods and
Lo selze Lhem.
Such a rule fulfllls Lhe guaranLy of Lhe lourLh AmendmenL. ln cases where Lhe securlng
of a warranL ls reasonably pracLlcable, lL musL be used and when properly supporLed by
affldavlL and lssued afLer [udlclal approval proLecLs Lhe selzlng offlcer agalnsL a sulL for
damages. ln cases where selzure ls lmposslble excepL wlLhouL warranL, Lhe selzlng
offlcer acLs unlawfully and aL hls perll unless he can show Lhe courL probable cause.
unlLed SLaLes v. kaplan (u. C.) 286 l. 963, 972.
8uL we are pressed wlLh Lhe argumenL LhaL lf Lhe search of Lhe auLomoblle dlscloses Lhe
presence of llquor and leads under Lhe sLauLe Lo Lhe arresL of Lhe person ln charge of
Lhe auLomoblle, Lhe rlghL of selzure should be llmlLed by Lhe common-law rule as Lo Lhe
clrcumsLances [usLlfylng an arresL wlLhouL a warranL for a mlsdemeanor. 1he usual rule
ls LhaL a pollce offlcer may arresL wlLhouL warranL one belleved by Lhe offlcer upon
reasonable cause Lo have been gullLy of a felony, and LhaL he may only arresL wlLhouL a
warranL one gullLy of a mlsdemeanor lf commlLLed [267 u.S. 132, 137] ln hls presence.
kurLz v. MofflLL, 113 u.S. 487 , 6 S. CL. 148, !ohn 8ad Llk v. unlLed SLaLes, 177 u.S. 329 ,
20 S. CL. 729. 1he rule ls someLlmes expressed as follows:
'ln cases of mlsdemeanor, a peace offlcer llke a prlvaLe person has aL common law no
power of arresLlng wlLhouL a warranL excepL when a breach of Lhe peace has been
commlLLed ln hls presence or Lhere ls reasonable ground for supposlng LhaL a breach of
peace ls abouL Lo be commlLLed or renewed ln hls presence.' Palsbury's Laws of
Lngland, vol. 9, parL. lll, 612.
1he reason for arresL for mlsdemeanors wlLhouL warranL aL common law was prompLly
Lo suppress breaches of Lhe peace (1 SLephen, PlsLory of Crlmlnal Law, 193), whlle Lhe
reason for arresL wlLhouL warranL on a rellable reporL of a felony was because Lhe publlc
safeLy and Lhe due apprehenslon of crlmlnals charged wlLh helnous offenses requlred
LhaL such arresLs should be made aL once wlLhouL warranL (8ohan v. Sawln, 3 Cush. [
Mass.] 281). 1he argumenL for defendanLs ls LhaL, as Lhe mlsdemeanor Lo [usLlfy arresL
wlLhouL warranL musL be commlLLed ln Lhe presence of Lhe pollce offlcer, Lhe offense ls
noL commlLLed ln hls presence unless he can by hls senses deLecL LhaL Lhe llquor ls belng
LransporLed, no maLLer how rellable hls prevlous lnformaLlon by whlch he can ldenLlfy
Lhe auLomoblle as loaded wlLh lL. Llrod v. Moss (C. C. A.) 278 l. 123, Pughes v. SLaLe,
143 1enn. 344, 238 S. W. 388, 20 A. L. 8. 639.
So lL ls LhaL under Lhe rule conLended for by defendanLs Lhe llquor lf carrled by one who
has been already Lwlce convlcLed of Lhe same offense may be selzed on lnformaLlon
oLher Lhan Lhe senses, whlle lf he has been only once convlcLed lL may noL be selzed
unless Lhe presence of Lhe llquor ls deLecLed by Lhe senses as Lhe auLomoblle conceallng
lL rushes by. 1hls ls cerLalnly a very unsaLlsfacLory llne of dlfference when Lhe maln
ob[ecL of Lhe secLlon ls Lo forfelL and suppress Lhe llquor, Lhe arresL of Lhe lndlvldual
belng only lncldenLal as shown by Lhe llghLness [267 u.S. 132, 138] of Lhe penalLy. See
CommonwealLh v. SLreeL, 3 a. ulsL. and Co. CL. 8ep. 783. ln Lngland aL Lhe common law
Lhe dlfference ln punlshmenL beLween felonles and mlsdemeanors was very greaL.
under our presenL federal sLaLuLes, lL ls much less lmporLanL and Congress may exerclse
a relaLlvely wlde dlscreLlon ln classlng parLlcular offenses as felonles or mlsdemeanors.
As Lhe maln purpose of secLlon 26 was selzure and forfelLure, lL ls noL so much Lhe
owner as Lhe properLy LhaL offends. Agnew v. Paymes, 141 l. 631, 641, 72 C. C. A. 323.
1he language of Lhe secLlon provldes for selzure when Lhe offlcer of Lhe law 'dlscovers'
any one ln Lhe acL of LransporLlng Lhe llquor by auLomoblle or oLher vehlcle. CerLalnly lL
ls a very narrow and Lechnlcal consLrucLlon of Lhls word whlch would llmlL lL Lo whaL Lhe
offlcer sees, hears or smells as Lhe auLomoblle rolls by and excludes Lherefrom when he
ldenLlfles Lhe car Lhe convlnclng lnformaLlon LhaL he may prevlously have recelved as Lo
Lhe use belng made of lL.
We do noL Lhlnk such a nlce dlsLlncLlon ls appllcable ln Lhe presenL case. When a man ls
legally arresLed for an offense, whaLever ls found upon hls person or ln hls conLrol whlch
lL ls unlawful for hlm Lo have and whlch may be used Lo prove Lhe offense may be selzed
and held as evldence ln Lhe prosecuLlon. Weeks v. unlLed SLaLes, 232 u.S. 383, 392 , 34
S. CL. 341, L. 8. A. 19138, 834, Ann. Cas. 1913C, 1177, ulllon v. C'8rlen and uavls, 16 Cox,
C. C. 243, CeLchell v. age, 103 Me. 387, 69 A. 624, 18 L. 8. A. (n. S.) 233, 123 Am. SL.
8ep. 307, kneeland v. Connally, 70 Ca. 424, 1 8lshop, Crlmlnal rocedure, 211, 1
WharLon, Crlmlnal rocedure (10Lh Ld.) 97. 1he argumenL of defendanLs ls based on Lhe
Lheory LhaL Lhe selzure ln Lhls case can only be Lhus [usLlfled. lf Lhelr Lheory were sound,
Lhelr concluslon would be. 1he valldlLy of Lhe selzure Lhen would Lurn wholly on Lhe
valldlLy of Lhe arresL wlLhouL a selzure. 8uL Lhe Lheory ls unsound. 1he rlghL Lo search
and Lhe valldlLy of Lhe selzure are noL dependenL on Lhe rlghL Lo arresL. 1hey are
dependenL on Lhe reasonable cause Lhe selzlng offlcer [267 u.S. 132, 139] has for bellef
LhaL Lhe conLenLs of Lhe auLomoblle offend agalnsL Lhe law. 1he selzure ln such a
proceedlng comes before Lhe arresL as secLlon 26 lndlcaLes. lL ls Lrue LhaL secLlon 26,
LlLle 2, provldes for lmmedlaLe proceedlngs agalnsL Lhe person arresLed and LhaL upon
convlcLlon Lhe llquor ls Lo be desLroyed and Lhe auLomoblle or oLher vehlcle ls Lo be
sold, wlLh Lhe savlng of Lhe lnLeresL of a llenor who does noL know of lLs unlawful use,
buL lL ls evldenL LhaL lf Lhe person arresLed ls lgnoranL of Lhe conLenLs of Lhe vehlcle, or
lf he escapes, proceedlngs can be had agalnsL Lhe llquor for desLrucLlon or oLher
dlsposlLlon under secLlon 23 of Lhe same LlLle. 1he characLer of Lhe offense for whlch,
afLer Lhe conLraband llquor ls found and selzed, Lhe drlver can be prosecuLed does noL
affecL Lhe valldlLy of Lhe selzure.
1hls concluslon ls ln keeplng wlLh Lhe requlremenLs of Lhe lourLh AmendmenL and Lhe
prlnclples of search and selzure of conLraband forfelLable properLy, and lL ls a wlse one
because lL leaves Lhe rule one whlch ls easlly applled and undersLood and ls unlform.
Pouck v. SLaLe, 106 Chlo SL. 193, 140 n. L. 112, accords wlLh Lhls concluslon. Ash v.
unlLed SLaLes (C. C. A.) 299 l. 277, and Mllam v. unlLed SLaLes (C. C. A.) 296 l. 629,
declslons by Lhe ClrculL CourL of Appeals for Lhe lourLh ClrculL Lake Lhe same vlew. 1he
Ash Case ls very slmllar ln lLs facLs Lo Lhe case aL bar, and boLh were by Lhe same courL
whlch declded Snyder v. unlLed SLaLes ( C. C. A.) 283 l. 1, clLed for Lhe defendanLs. See,
also, ark v. unlLed SLaLes (1sL C. C. A.) 294 l. 776, 783, and LamberL v. unlLed SLaLes
(9Lh C. C. A.) 282 l. 413.
llnally, was Lhere probable cause? ln 1he Apollon, 9 WheaL. 362, Lhe quesLlon was
wheLher Lhe selzure of a lrench vessel aL a parLlcular place was upon probable cause
LhaL she was Lhere for Lhe purpose of smuggllng. ln Lhls dlscusslon Mr. !usLlce SLory,
who dellvered Lhe [udgmenL of Lhe courL, sald (page 374):
'lL has been very [usLly observed aL Lhe bar LhaL Lhe courL ls bound Lo Lake noLlce of
publlc facLs and geographlcal[267 u.S. 132, 160] poslLlons, and LhaL Lhls remoLe parL of
Lhe counLry has been lnfesLed, aL dlfferenL perlods, by smugglers, ls maLLer of general
noLorleLy, and may be gaLhered from Lhe publlc documenLs of Lhe governmenL.'
We know ln Lhls way LhaL Crand 8aplds ls abouL 132 mlles from ueLrolL, and LhaL ueLrolL
and lLs nelghborhood along Lhe ueLrolL rlver, whlch ls Lhe lnLernaLlonal boundary, ls one
of Lhe mosL acLlve cenLers for lnLroduclng lllegally lnLo Lhls counLry splrlLuous llquors for
dlsLrlbuLlon lnLo Lhe lnLerlor. lL ls obvlous from Lhe evldence LhaL Lhe prohlblLlon agenLs
were engaged ln a regular paLrol along Lhe lmporLanL hlghways from ueLrolL Lo Crand
8aplds Lo sLop and selze llquor carrled ln auLomoblles. 1hey knew or had convlnclng
evldence Lo make Lhem belleve LhaL Lhe Carroll boys, as Lhey called Lhem, were so-
called 'booLleggers' ln Crand 8aplds, l. e., LhaL Lhey were engaged ln plylng Lhe unlawful
Lrade of selllng such llquor ln LhaL clLy. 1he offlcers had soon afLer noLed Lhelr golng
from Crand 8aplds half way Lo ueLrolL, and aLLempLed Lo follow Lhem Lo LhaL clLy Lo see
where Lhey wenL, buL Lhey escaped observaLlon. 1wo monLhs laLer Lhese offlcers
suddenly meL Lhe same men on Lhelr way wesLward presumably from ueLrolL. 1he
parLners ln Lhe orlglnal comblnaLlon Lo sell llquor ln Crand 8aplds were LogeLher ln Lhe
same auLomoblle Lhey had been ln Lhe nlghL when Lhey Lrled Lo furnlsh Lhe whlsky Lo
Lhe offlcers, whlch was Lhus ldenLlfled as parL of Lhe flrm equlpmenL. 1hey were comlng
from Lhe dlrecLlon of Lhe greaL source of supply for Lhelr sLock Lo Crand 8aplds, where
Lhey plled Lhelr Lrade. 1haL Lhe offlcers, when Lhey saw Lhe defendanLs, belleved LhaL
Lhey were carrylng llquor, we can have no doubL, and we Lhlnk lL ls equally clear LhaL
Lhey had reasonable cause for Lhlnklng so. Lmphasls ls puL by defendanLs' counsel on
Lhe sLaLemenL made by one of Lhe offlcers LhaL Lhey were noL looklng for defendanLs aL
Lhe parLlcular Llme when Lhey appeared. We do noL percelve LhaL lL has any welghL. As
soon as Lhey dld appear, [267 u.S. 132, 161] Lhe offlcers were enLlLled Lo use Lhelr
reasonlng faculLles upon all Lhe facLs of whlch Lhey had prevlous knowledge ln respecL
Lo Lhe defendanLs.
1he necesslLy for probable cause ln [usLlfylng selzures on land or sea, ln maklng arresLs
wlLhouL warranL for pasL felonles, and ln mallclous prosecuLlon and false lmprlsonmenL
cases has led Lo frequenL deflnlLlon of Lhe phrase. ln SLacey v. Lmery, 97 u.S. 642 , 643
(24 L. Ld. 1033), a sulL for damages for selzure by a collecLor, Lhls courL deflned probable
cause as follows:
'lf Lhe facLs and clrcumsLances before Lhe offlcer are such as Lo warranL a man of
prudence and cauLlon ln bellevlng LhaL Lhe offense has been commlLLed, lL ls sufflclenL.'
See Locke v. unlLed SLaLes, 7 Cranch, 339, 1he Ceorge, 1 Mason, 24, led. Cas. no. 3328,
1he 1hompson, 3 Wall. 133.
lL was lald down by Chlef !usLlce Shaw, ln CommonwealLh v. Carey, 12 Cush. 246, 231,
LhaL:
'lf a consLable or oLher peace offlcer arresL a person wlLhouL a warranL, he ls noL bound
Lo show ln hls [usLlflcaLlon a felony acLually commlLLed, Lo render Lhe arresL lawful, buL
lf he suspecLs one on hls own knowledge of facLs, or on facLs communlcaLed Lo hlm by
oLhers, and Lhereupon he has reasonable ground Lo belleve LhaL Lhe accused has been
gullLy of felony, Lhe arresL ls noL unlawful.' CommonwealLh v. helps, 209 Mass. 396, 93
n. L. 868, Ann. Cas. 19128, 366, 8ohan v. Sawln, 3 Cush. 281, 283.
ln McCarLhy v. ue ArmlL, 99 a. 63, Lhe Supreme CourL of ennsylvanla sums up Lhe
deflnlLlon of probable cause ln Lhls way (page 69):
'1he subsLance of all Lhe deflnlLlons ls a reasonable ground for bellef of gullL.'
ln Lhe case of Lhe ulrecLor Ceneral v. kasLenbaum, 263 u.S. 23 , 44 S. CL. 32, whlch was a
sulL for false lmprlsonmenL, lL was sald by Lhls courL (page 28 [44 S. CL. 33]):
'8uL, as we have seen, good falLh ls noL enough Lo consLlLuLe probable cause. 1haL falLh
musL be grounded on facLs wlLhln knowledge of Lhe ulrecLor Ceneral's agenL, [267 u.S.
132, 162] whlch ln Lhe [udgmenL of Lhe courL would make hls falLh reasonable.'
See, also, Munn v. ue nemours, 3 Wash. C. C. 37, led. Cas. no. 9926.
ln Lhe llghL of Lhese auLhorlLles, and whaL ls shown by Lhls record, lL ls clear Lhe offlcers
here had [usLlflcaLlon for Lhe search and selzure. 1hls ls Lo say LhaL Lhe facLs and
clrcumsLances wlLhln Lhelr knowledge and of whlch Lhey had reasonably LrusLworLhy
lnformaLlon were sufflclenL ln Lhemselves Lo warranL a man of reasonable cauLlon ln Lhe
bellef LhaL lnLoxlcaLlng llquor was belng LransporLed ln Lhe auLomoblle whlch Lhey
sLopped and searched.
Counsel flnally argue LhaL Lhe defendanLs should be permlLLed Lo escape Lhe effecL of
Lhe convlcLlon because Lhe courL refused on moLlon Lo dellver Lhem Lhe llquor when, as
Lhey say, Lhe evldence adduced on Lhe moLlon was much less Lhan LhaL shown on Lhe
Lrlal, and dld noL show probable cause. 1he record does noL make lL clear whaL evldence
was produced ln supporL of or agalnsL Lhe moLlon. 8uL, aparL from Lhls, we Lhlnk Lhe
polnL ls wlLhouL subsLance here. lf Lhe evldence glven on Lhe Lrlal was sufflclenL, as we
Lhlnk lL was, Lo susLaln Lhe lnLroducLlon of Lhe llquor as evldence, lL ls lmmaLerlal LhaL
Lhere was an lnadequacy of evldence when appllcaLlon was made for lLs reLurn. A
convlcLlon on adequaLe and admlsslble evldence should noL be seL aslde on such a
ground. 1he whole maLLer was gone lnLo aL Lhe Lrlal, so no rlghL of Lhe defendanLs was
lnfrlnged.
Counsel for Lhe governmenL conLend LhaL klro, Lhe defendanL who dld noL own Lhe
auLomoblle, could noL complaln of Lhe vlolaLlon of Lhe lourLh AmendmenL ln Lhe use of
Lhe llquor as evldence agalnsL hlm, whaLever Lhe vlew Laken as Lo Carroll's rlghLs. Cur
concluslon as Lo Lhe whole case makes lL unnecessary for us Lo dlscuss Lhls aspecL of lL.
;I5 KAB@E5C6 FL 7MMF?E5B(