Ferguson v. City of Charleston

Ferguson v. City of Charleston
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued October 4, 2000
Decided March 21, 2001
Full case nameCrystal M. Ferguson et al. v. City of Charleston, South Carolina, et al.
Citations532 U.S. 67 (more)
121 S. Ct. 1281; 149 L. Ed. 2d 205
Case history
PriorVerdict for respondents affirmed by the Fourth Circuit, 186 F.3d 469 (4th Cir. 1999); cert. granted, 528 U.S. 1187 (2000).
Holding
A state hospital's attempt to gather evidence of a patient's criminal conduct for law enforcement purposes constitutes an unreasonable search unless the patient consents.
Court membership
Chief Justice
William Rehnquist
Associate Justices
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy
David Souter · Clarence Thomas
Ruth Bader Ginsburg · Stephen Breyer
Case opinions
MajorityStevens, joined by O'Connor, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer
ConcurrenceKennedy (in judgment)
DissentScalia, joined by Rehnquist, Thomas
Laws applied
U.S. Const. amend. IV

Ferguson v. City of Charleston, 532 U.S. 67 (2001), is a United States Supreme Court decision that found Medical University of South Carolina's policy regarding involuntary drug testing of pregnant women to violate the Fourth Amendment. The Court held that the search in question was unreasonable.[1]

  1. ^ Ferguson v. City of Charleston, 532 U.S. 67 (2001).