Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? 
By:
Tags: exigent circumstances, Fourth Amendment, search and seizure, Supreme Court
WASHINGTON - Where there is smoke, there is sometimes a burning marijuana joint. But when that smoke leads police into the wrong apartment during a drug sting, does that create exigent circumstances to support a warrantless search and arrest?
© Copyright 2013 Lawyers USA. All Rights Reserved.
Login required
You have clicked on a link to
information that is | ||
Already a paid subscriber but not registered for online access yet? For instructions on how to get premium web access, click here. |
||
Interested in Subscribing?
Start by choosing how you'd like your news delivered.
- Introductory Rate - |
 - Print and Digital - |
 - Digital Only - |
![[Print]](http://lawyersusaonline.com/wp-content/plugins/tdc-sociable-toolbar/print.png)
![[Email]](http://api.addthis.com/oexchange/0.8/forward/email/offer?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>)
![[RSS Feed]](http://lawyersusaonline.com/wp-content/plugins/tdc-sociable-toolbar/rssfeed.png)
![[del.icio.us]](http://del.icio.us/post?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>)
![[Facebook]](http://lawyersusaonline.com/wp-content/plugins/tdc-sociable-toolbar/facebook.png)
© Copyright 2013 Lawyers USA. All Rights Reserved.
![Ask](http://myjeeves.ask.com/mysearch/BookmarkIt?v=1.2&t=webpages&url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![backflip](http://www.backflip.com/add_page_pop.ihtml?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![blinklist](http://blinklist.com/index.php?Action=Blink/addblink.php&Url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&Title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![BlogMarks](http://blogmarks.net/my/new.php?mini=1&simple=1&url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![BuddyMarks](http://www.buddymarks.com/add_bookmark.php?bookmark_title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&bookmark_url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/){kind=link}
![CiteULike](http://www.citeulike.org/posturl?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![co.mments](http://co.mments.com/track?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Connotea](http://www.connotea.org/addpopup?continue=confirm&uri=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![diigo](http://www.diigo.com/post?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![DotNetKicks](http://www.dotnetkicks.com/kick/?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![dzone](http://www.dzone.com/links/add.html?description=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Fark](http://cgi.fark.com/cgi/fark/farkit.pl?u=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&h=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Faves](http://faves.com/Authoring.aspx?u=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&t=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Feed Me Links](http://feedmelinks.com/categorize?from=toolbar&op=submit&name=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/){kind=link}
![Friendsite](http://friendsite.com/users/bookmark/?u=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&t=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Furl](http://www.furl.net/storeIt.jsp?u=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&t=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Google](http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=edit&output=popup&bkmk=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Hugg](http://www.hugg.com/node/add/storylink?edit[title]=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&edit[url]=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/){kind=link}
![Jeqq](http://www.jeqq.com/submit.php?url==http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![linkaGoGo](http://www.linkagogo.com/go/AddNoPopup?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![linkedin](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&summary=WASHINGTON+-+Where+there+is+smoke%2C+there+is+sometimes+a+burning+marijuana+joint.+But+when+that+smoke+leads+police+into+the+wrong+apartment+during+a+drug+sting%2C+does+that+create+exigent+circumstances+to+support+a+warrantless+search+and+arrest%3F%0AThe+justices+of+the+U.S.+Supreme+Court+took+up+that+question+Wednesday+in+the+case+Kentucky+v.+%5B...%5D&source=Lawyers+USA+Online){kind=link}
![LinksMarker](http://www.linksmarker.com/submit.php?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Ma.gnolia](http://ma.gnolia.com/bookmarklet/add?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Mister Wong](http://www.mister-wong.com/index.php?action=addurl&bm_url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&bm_description=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![MySpace](http://www.myspace.com/Modules/PostTo/Pages/?c=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&t=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![MyWeb](http://myweb.yahoo.com/myweb/save?t=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&u=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/){kind=link}
![Netvouz](http://www.netvouz.com/action/submitBookmark?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&popup=no){kind=link}
![oneview](http://www.oneview.com/quickadd/neu/addBookmark.jsf?URL=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![OnlyWire](http://www.onlywire.com/submit?u=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&t=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![PlugIM](http://www.plugim.com/submit?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Propeller](http://www.propeller.com/submit/?U=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&T=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Reddit](http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Segnalo](http://segnalo.com/post.html.php?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Simpy](http://www.simpy.com/simpy/LinkAdd.do?href=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Slashdot](http://slashdot.org/bookmark.pl?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Sphere](http://www.sphere.com/search?q=sphereit:http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Sphinn](http://sphinn.com/submit.php?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Spurl](http://www.spurl.net/spurl.php?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![StumbleUpon](http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![ThisNext](http://www.thisnext.com/pick/new/submit/sociable/?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&name=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Tumblr](http://www.tumblr.com/share?v=3&u=lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&t=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Twitter](http://twitter.com/home/?status=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>+http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/){kind=link}
![Webride](http://webride.org/discuss/split.php?uri=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Windows Live](https://favorites.live.com/quickadd.aspx?mkt=en-us&url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&title=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Yahoo!](http://bookmarks.yahoo.com/toolbar/savebm?opener=tb&u=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-%e2%80%98exigent-circumstances/&t=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Email This to a Friend](http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailFlare?loc=en_US&itemTitle=Does a knock on the wrong door create ‘exigent circumstances’? <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&uri=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2011/01/12/does-a-knock-on-the-wrong-door-create-‘exigent-circumstances/){kind=link}
Comments