What does “knock and announce” mean? An analysis ofWilson v. Arkansas and its progeny

The U.S. Supreme Court held in Wilson v. Arkansas (1994) that the common law “knock-and-announce” principle formed part of the “reasonableness” inquiry under the Fourth Amendment. However, the Court’s opinion gave little guidance as to what would be unreasonable under these circumstances. Some criti...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Jones, David M. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2002
In: American journal of criminal justice
Year: 2002, Volume: 26, Issue: 2, Pages: 287-303
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Keywords:
Fourth Amendment
Lower Court
State Court
Supreme Court Decision
Police Officer
Description
Summary:The U.S. Supreme Court held in Wilson v. Arkansas (1994) that the common law “knock-and-announce” principle formed part of the “reasonableness” inquiry under the Fourth Amendment. However, the Court’s opinion gave little guidance as to what would be unreasonable under these circumstances. Some critics expressed concern that this lack of guidance would lead to many variations among lower courts. Other observers discerned a signal that little should be deemed “unreasonable” in the context of “knock and announce.” These criticisms are analyzed through a review of lower court interpretations of Wilson.
ISSN:1936-1351
DOI:10.1007/BF02887832