New York Court of Appeals
In the Matter of Finn's Liquor Shop, Inc. v. State Liquor Authority, Appellant In the Matter of Nicholas La Penta…
April 24, 196924 N.Y.2d 647
Summary
The New York Court of Appeals affirmed the Appellate Division decisions, holding that the exclusionary rule applies to administrative proceedings and that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment—whether through warrantless searches, illegal wiretaps, or illegal searches incident to arrest—must be excluded from liquor authority hearings. The Court reasoned that the rule’s deterrent purpose extends beyond criminal prosecutions and that statutory prohibitions such as CPLR 4506 reinforce this application.