Davis v. Mississippi
United States Supreme Court
394 U.S. 721 (1969)
Relevant factsFree
Police investigating a rape detained Davis (defendant) and 24 others matching a general suspect description at a police station for fingerprinting without a warrant or probable cause; Davis's prints matched those from the crime scene, and he was convicted after the state courts admitted the fingerprints despite his Fourth Amendment challenge, with the Mississippi Supreme Court affirming based partly on fingerprint evidence's inherent trustworthiness.
IssueFree
Whether fingerprints obtained during an illegal detention may be used as evidence.