Richards v. Wisconsin

Richards v. Wisconsin
Argued March 24, 1997
Decided April 28, 1997
Full case nameSteiney Richards v. State of Wisconsin
Citations520 U.S. 385 (more)
117 S.Ct. 1416
Case history
Prior201 Wis. 2d 845, 549 N. W. 2d 218 (Wisconsin Supreme Court 1996) (upheld)
Holding
There is no blanket exception to the knock-and-announce rule for felony drug investigations, but this specific search of Richards' motel room was justified based on the facts.
Court membership
Chief Justice
William Rehnquist
Associate Justices
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy
David Souter · Clarence Thomas
Ruth Bader Ginsburg · Stephen Breyer
Case opinion
MajorityStevens, joined by unanimous
Laws applied
U.S. Const. amend. IV


Richards v. Wisconsin, 529 U.S. 385 (1997), was a case before the United States Supreme Court in which the Court held that the Fourth Amendment does not allow a blanket exception to the knock-and-announce rule for investigations of drug-related felonies.