Law School Case Briefs
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Gouled v. United States
Supreme Court of the United States (1921) | 255 U.S. 298; 41 S. Ct. 261; 65 L. Ed. 647; 1921 U.S. LEXIS 1826
TL;DR: The Supreme Court held that papers obtained by government agents through stealth without a warrant, or under a warrant solely for their evidentiary value, were unconstitutionally seized and inadmissible, violating the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.
Legal Significance: This case established that searches by stealth are unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment and introduced the "mere evidence" rule, prohibiting seizure of items solely for their evidentiary value, significantly impacting search and seizure law.