Chimel v. California

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Chimel v. California

Supreme Court of the United States

Argued March 27, 1969
Decided June 23, 1969


Full case name:	Chimel v. California

Prior history:	Certiorari to the Supreme Court of California.

Subsequent history:	68 Cal. 2d 436, 439 P.2d 333, reversed.

Holding

An arresting officer may search only the area "within the immediate control" of the person arrested, meaning the area from which he might gain possession of a weapon or destructible evidence. Any other search of the surrounding area requires a search warrant.

Court membership

Chief Justice: Warren E. Burger
Associate Justices: Hugo Black, William O. Douglas, John Marshall Harlan II, William J. Brennan, Potter Stewart, Byron White, Abe Fortas, Thurgood Marshall

Case opinions

Majority by: Stewart
Joined by: Burger, Douglas, Harlan, Brennan, Fortas, Marshall
Concurrence by: Harlan
Dissent by: White
Joined by: Black

Laws applied

U.S. Const. amend. IV

Chimel v. California, 395 U.S. 752 (1969)^[1], was a case in which the United States Supreme Court held that police officers could only search within the immediate area of a suspect who was being arrested.

Police officers went to Chimel's home with a warrant to arrest for burglary of a coin shop. Chimel's wife allowed the officers in the home and the police waited for Chimel's return. When Chimel arrived the officers arrested him and began to search his home. The police found the evidence needed to convict Chimel as they had found coins that Chimel was suspected of stealing in a burglary and the police used the evidence to convict him.

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the conviction stating that the officers could only search the immediate area the person was in and only for items that were an immediate threat for the officers safety. The evidence could not be used as it was an illegal search. There was no search warrant to search Chimels residence, only an arrest warrant.