Stanford v. Texas
United States Supreme Court
379 U.S. 476 (1965)
- Written by Sean Carroll, JD
Facts
Texas (defendant) passed a law banning the Communist Party and criminalizing Communist-related activities. Pursuant to this law, a warrant was issued to search the home of John Stanford, Jr., (plaintiff) and seize any “books, records, pamphlets, cards, receipts, lists, memoranda, pictures, recordings and other written instruments concerning the Communist Party of Texas.” In exercising the warrant, officers seized approximately 2,000 books, pamphlets, and other written documents from Stanford’s home. The items included works from an array of writers, including Karl Marx, Pope John XXIII, and Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black. The officers did not find any records of the Communist Party of Texas. Stanford filed a motion to annul the warrant and return the property. The magistrate denied the motion. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Stewart, J.)
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