Court Opinion

ID: 9429103
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-02 23:25:39.782301+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:23:17.071572
License: Public Domain

Justice Blackmun,
with whom Justice Brennan, Justice Marshall, and Justice Stevens join, concurring in the judgment.
The Court’s opinion gratuitously refers to the “open fields” doctrine and twice cites Hester v. United States, 265 U. S. 57 (1924). Ante, at 282 and 285. For me, the present case does not concern the open fields doctrine, and I regard these references and citations as unnecessary for the Court’s decision. Furthermore, and most important, cases concerning the open fields doctrine have been accepted by the Court for argument and plenary consideration. State v. Brady, 406 So. 2d 1093 (Fla.), cert. granted, 456 U. S. 988 (1982); United States v. Oliver, 686 F. 2d 356 (CA6 1982), cert. granted, 459 U. S. 1168 (1983). See also United States v. Dunn, 674 F. 2d 1093 (CA5 1982), cert. pending, No. 82-508.
It would be unfortunate to provide either side in these granted cases with support, directly or by implication, for its position, and I surely do not wish to decide those cases in this one. Although the Court does not indicate its view on how such cases should be decided, I would defer all comments about open fields to a case that concerns that subject and in which we have the benefit of briefs and oral argument.
I therefore do not join the Court’s opinion. I concur only in the result it reaches.