Supreme Court of the United States
Hudson v. Palmer
July 3, 1984468 U.S. 517
Summary
The Court held that a prisoner has no legitimate expectation of privacy in a prison cell, so the Fourth Amendment does not apply to searches or seizures conducted there. It also held that an unauthorized intentional deprivation of property by a state employee does not violate procedural due process when the State provides an adequate postdeprivation remedy. The Court therefore reversed the judgment concerning the Fourth Amendment claim and affirmed the judgment rejecting the due-process property claim.
Holding
- Fourth Amendment protection for prison cells. A prisoner has no legitimate expectation of privacy in a prison cell, and the Fourth Amendment's prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures therefore does not apply within the confines of the cell.
- Intentional deprivation of property and procedural due process. An unauthorized intentional deprivation of property by a state employee does not violate the procedural requirements of the Fourteenth Amendment when a meaningful state postdeprivation remedy is available.
Docket 82-1630