Warden v. Hayden
United States Supreme Court
387 U.S. 294 (1967)
Following a radioed report of an armed robbery and a description of the suspect fleeing into a specific home, police entered with the suspect's wife's consent, found and arrested Hayden (defendant) inside, and also seized a gun, ammunition, and clothing matching the robber's description from a washing machine; this evidence led to Hayden's conviction. The court of appeals upheld the entry and search as lawful under hot pursuit but held the clothing inadmissible as having only evidential value, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Whether the Fourth Amendment permits officers in hot pursuit of a fleeing felon to enter and search a home without a warrant, and whether it permits seizure of mere evidence of a crime that is not itself a fruit, instrumentality, or contraband.