Gouled v. United States
United States Supreme Court
255 U.S. 298 (1921)
Relevant factsFree
A friend of Gouled (defendant) who was also a government agent asked to use Gouled's office phone, and after Gouled consented and briefly stepped out, the agent searched the office and seized incriminating documents, turning them over to investigators in a government contract fraud case; Gouled challenged the seizure as a Fourth Amendment violation.
IssueFree
Whether a search and seizure that a government agent or informant conducts violates the Fourth Amendment if the agent obtains entry to the suspect's house or office through force, stealth, or social acquaintance, and conducts a secret search and seizure thereafter.