Constitutional Law—Supreme Court Allows Warrantless Search and Seizure of Arrestee’s DNA

Case Comment

Maryland v. King, 133 S. Ct. 1958 (2013)

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was enacted to protect citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures.  In Maryland v. King, a case of first impression, the Supreme Court addressed the question of whether a warrantless search and seizure of an arrestee’s DNA would be afforded Fourth Amendment protection.  The Court, utilizing a reasonableness balancing test, held that the government’s compelling interest of identifying criminals outweighed the arrestee’s right to privacy and found the search and seizure constitutional.