Rakas v. Illinois

Supreme Court of United States
439 U.S. 128 (1978)
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Rule of Law:

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The Legal Principle

This section distills the key legal rule established or applied by the court—the one-liner you'll want to remember for exams.

Facts:

  • A police officer on patrol received a radio call notifying him of a robbery and providing a description of the getaway car.
  • Shortly thereafter, the officer spotted a car he believed matched the description and began to follow it.
  • After assistance arrived, several officers stopped the vehicle.
  • The occupants, petitioners Rakas and another man, along with two female companions, were ordered out of the car.
  • After the occupants exited, officers searched the interior of the vehicle.
  • The search revealed a box of rifle shells in the locked glove compartment and a sawed-off rifle under the front passenger seat.
  • Petitioners were passengers in the car and did not own the vehicle.
  • Petitioners did not assert ownership of the rifle or the shells that were seized.

Procedural Posture:

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How It Got Here

Understand the case's journey through the courts—who sued whom, what happened at trial, and why it ended up on appeal.

Issue:

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Legal Question at Stake

This section breaks down the central legal question the court had to answer, written in plain language so you can quickly grasp what's being decided.

Opinions:

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Majority, Concurrences & Dissents

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Analysis:

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Why This Case Matters

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