mcdonald argued decided december john lewis smith charles ford washington petitioner frederick bernays wiener washington respondent mcdonald justice douglas delivered opinion petitioners convicted district evidence obtained search made without warrant appeals affirmed divided vote brought case certiorari doubts whether result squared johnson trupiano petitioners tried without jury district district columbia indictment four counts charging offenses carrying lottery known numbers game violation code found guilty counts petitioner mcdonald previously arrested numbers operations police observation several months prior arrest period maintaining home district columbia rented room residence terry maintained rooming house district comings goings address surveillance police two months observed enter rooming house hours operations headquarters numbers game customarily carried day arrest three police officers surrounded house midafternoon warrant arrest search warrant outside house one officers thought heard adding machine machines frequently used numbers operation believing numbers game process officers sought admission house one opened window leading landlady room climbed identified admitted officers house searching rooms ground floor proceeded second floor door end bedroom closed one officers stood chair looked transom observed petitioners room well numbers slips money piled table adding machines yelled mcdonald open door mcdonald petitioners arrested officers seized machines suitcase papers money whether machines papers suppressed evidence returned petitioner mcdonald major question presented fourth amendment constitution provides right people secure persons houses papers effects unreasonable searches seizures shall violated warrants shall issue upon probable cause supported oath affirmation particularly describing place searched persons things seized guarantee protection unreasonable searches seizures extends innocent guilty alike marks right privacy one unique values civilization exceptions stays hands police unless search warrant issued magistrate probable cause supported oath affirmation law provides sanction flouting constitutional safeguard suppression evidence secured result violation tendered federal weeks prosecution seeks build lawfulness search lawfulness arrest justify search seizure without warrant see agnello harris reasoning runs follows al hough invasion privacy officers enter terry room trespass violated rights fourth amendment mcdonald therefore far concerned officers lawfully within hallway much terry admitted looking transom search eye commit trespass condemned fourth amendment since officers observed mcdonald act committing offense duty arrest see code arrest valid search incident thereto lawful stop examine syllogism flaws assuming correctness reject result case officers passing street hear shot cry help demand entrance name law following mcdonald keeping surveillance two months rooming house prosecution tells us police probable cause obtaining warrant shortly arrest heard sound adding machine coming rooming house vague general testimony record previous occasions officers sought search warrants denied statements alone lay proper foundation dispensing search warrant officers responding emergency must compelling reasons justify absence search warrant search without warrant demands exceptional circumstances held johnson supra assume defendant surveillance months search warrant obtained showing officers made applied earlier occasions dates applications circumstances bearing upon necessity make search without warrant absent record allow constitutional barrier protects privacy individual hurdled easily moreover move scene crime reason absence search warrant even less obvious officers heard adding machine latest saw transpiring room certainly adequate grounds seeking search warrant johnson trupiano defendant fleeing seeking escape officers apprehend petitioners case tried leave property process destruction likely destroyed opium paraphernalia johnson case petitioners busily engaged lottery venture reason except inconvenience officers delay preparing papers getting magistrate appears failure seek search warrant reasons justification constitutional requirement held johnson supra page page dealing formalities presence search warrant serves high function absent grave emergency fourth amendment interposed magistrate citizen police done shield criminals make home safe illegal activities done objective mind might weigh need invade privacy order enforce law right privacy deemed precious entrust discretion whose job detection crime arrest criminals power heady thing history shows police acting trusted constitution requires magistrate pass desires police violate privacy home true constitutional requirement excuse absence search warrant without showing seek exemption constitutional mandate exigencies situation made course imperative follows said mcdonald motion suppression evidence return property granted weeks supra importing however denied unlawfully seized evidence used mcdonald washington well two tried jointly apart evidence seems little none washington even though assume without deciding washington guest mcdonald right privacy broken officers searched mcdonald room without warrant think denial mcdonald motion error prejudicial washington well case unlike agnello supra page page unlawfully seized materials basis evidence used codefendant property returned mcdonald available use trial speculate whether evidence might used washington equally probative reversed justice black concurs result justrice rutledge concurs result opinion insofar relates petitioner ald respect petitioner washington view evidence illegally obtained inadmissible cf malinski people state new york opinion dissenting part page pages pages justice jackson concurring agree result opinion rejects search two courts sustained without saying wherein wrong may helpful lower courts police state appears us reason search bad police several weeks defendant mcdonald surveillance commissioner approached search warrant reasons appear declined issue additional information led officers take law hands make search without warrant heard adding machine witness sure premises certainly sound adding machine typewriter standing alone indication crime become significant weighed connection evidence magistrate might either issued refused warrant request made however officer charge investigation took matter hands neither sought search warrant warrant arrest knowledge crime sufficient even opinion justify arrest even know suspect mcdonald rooming house time nevertheless forced open window landlady bedroom climbed apparently plain clothes showed badge frightened woman brushed aside unlocked doors admitted two officers went hall outside room rented occupied defendant officer charge climbed chair looked transom seeing defendant mcdonald engaged activity considered part lottery procedure arrested searched quarters government argued held since forced entry building landlady window room defendant tenant rights objection mode entry search followed available doubtless tenant quarters rooming apartment house legally well practically exposed lawful approach good many persons without consent control police admitted guests another tenant approaches thrown open obliging landlady doorman legally hallways like stranger spy eavesdrop others without trespassers peeped keyhole climbed chair one another shoulders look transom see grounds defendant complain manner private citizen saw crime course commission arrest permissible seems tenant building right exclude common hallways enter lawfully personal constitutionally protected interest integrity security entire building unlawful breaking entry police gained access peeking post means merely unauthorized means forbidden law denounced criminal prying porch window climbing landlady bedroom guilty breaking felony law crime far serious one engaged suppressing forced entry without either search warrant arrest warrant justify felonious character entry seems followed every step journey inside house tainted fruits illegality cf weeks taylor johnson even one conclude urgent circumstances might justify forced entry without warrant emergency present case thi method law enforcement displays shocking lack sense proportion whether reasonable necessity search without waiting obtain warrant certainly depends somewhat upon gravity offense thought progress well hazards method attempting reach case police two months watching defendant mcdonald criminal operation shabby swindle police quite right suppressing one endangered life limb peace good order community even continued another day two neither racket one defendant likely abandon conduct numbers racket solitary vice practiced secrecy discoverable crashing dwelling houses real difficulty little condemned otherwise people flourishes widely involves multitudes people shocking proposition private homes even quarters tenement may indiscriminately invaded discretion suspicious police officer engaged following offenses involve violence threats human enough apply letter law indulgence officers acting deal threats crimes violence endanger life security notable searches found unlawful dealt category crime almost without exception overzeal suppressing acts malum se malum prohibitum enterprise parting fools money lottery one suppressed think suppression important society security people unreasonable searches seizures officer undertakes act magistrate position justify pointing real immediate serious consequences postponed action get warrant less reluctant reach conclusion method enforcing law exemplified search one violates legal rights defendant certain involve police grave troubles continued occasion due luck foresight many city doubtless armed woman sees strange man plain clothes prying bedroom window climbing natural impulse shoot plea justifiable homicide might result awkwardly enforcement officers officer seeing gun drawn might shoot first circumstances case want task convincing jury murder reluctance condemning unconstitutional method law enforcement reckless fraught danger discredit law enforcement agencies defendant washington guest premises immunity spying listening rightfully house even guest may expect shelter rooftree criminal intrusion reverse defendants justice frankfurter joined opinion also concurs opinion justice burton chief justice justice reed join dissenting opinion judgment affirmed case lawful arrest followed seizure instruments crime plain sight search therefore issue need search warrant regard arrest issue need warrant arrest make lawful reasons stated believe arrest crime committed presence officers clearly lawful without issuance formal warrant time raid sufficient grounds justify police suspecting unlawful lottery later proved operation progress within building surveillance game conducted form lottery generally regarded detrimental communities flourishes highly profitable principals expense players yet simple operation headquarters readily movable accordingly requires substantial police effort stop unlawful operations source difficult locate principals still difficult secure proof suffi ient convict unless arrested midst one comparatively brief periodical sessions essential computations operation lottery made sessions held operators determine day winners arrange distribution among winners respective shares cash collected network writers collectors runners circumstances prompt entry police justified reasonably suspected crime operating numbers lottery committed moment petitioners tenants occupants room right object presence officers hall rooming house actual observance police commission suspected crime thereupon justified immediate arrest engaged without securing warrant arrest case primarily instance police succeeded surprising petitioners midst unlawful operations police suspected carried periodically mcdonald principal operator others place question generally violation constitutional privilege accused police officer arrest accused without warrant arrest arrest made moment accused engaged violation law presence officer generally violation constitutional privilege accused arresting officer thereupon seize least articles plain sight seen officer used commission crime accused arrested see adequate reason distinction favor accused case search seized property presence obvious also seizure anything articles arresting officer saw use material connection crime accused committed officer presence therefore violation constitutional rights accused permit seized articles presented evidence securing convictions crimes charged committing presence arresting officer footnotes example instant case involves statute forbidding lotteries district columbia trupiano liquor control revenue statutes johnson narcotic control revenue statutes nathanson liquor control tariff statute cases involving liquor control taxing statutes numerous see taylor lefkowitz importing gambino amos agnello involved cocaine control taxing statutes weeks involved statute forbidding use mails distribute lottery tickets