Opinion ID: 380771
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Search of the Wallace Home.

Text: 11 The Wallaces are in their mid-fifties. Mr. Wallace is a long-term civil service employee of the Department of the Army; Mrs. Wallace is a housewife. Mrs. Swain had not lived with the Wallaces for a number of years but occasionally stayed with them when problems arose with her husband. 12 On October 6, 1976, the Fairfax police received a phone call from Mrs. Swain's estranged husband. He informed them that Mrs. Swain was at her parents' home and, upon meeting two officers at the residence, identified a car parked outside as belonging to his wife. The car was actually licensed in the Wallaces' name. 13 At approximately 8:30 p. m. Officers Robert Lawrence and Carla Helwig were admitted into the Wallace residence, without demur. Officer Lawrence announced that he wanted to search the home for Mrs. Swain because he had a bench warrant for her arrest and had information indicating that she was on the premises. Mr. Wallace asked the officers if they had a search warrant for his home. One of the officers responded that the arrest warrant itself was sufficient authority for the search. 14 The search was a walk-through which took only a few minutes. Mrs. Wallace showed Officer Helwig various rooms and closets and, at Officer Helwig's request, opened doors and turned on lights as the two went through the house. 15 Both officers concede that they had ample time to go to a magistrate and secure a search warrant. They knew that the arrest warrant for Mrs. Swain arose from a domestic relations matter involving the welfare of a young child, but they had not been advised of any urgent or dangerous circumstances requiring immediate arrest. 16 The parties dispute whether the officers were hostile in conducting the search. The Wallaces claim that the emergency lights on the officers' vehicle were flashing outside during the incident, but the police deny this. 1 Mr. Wallace claims that his asthmatic condition was aggravated by the search and attendant circumstances, causing him to miss work the following day.