Polk v. United States

Citation314 F.2d 837
Decision Date12 March 1963
Docket NumberNo. 17819.,17819.
PartiesJewel POLK, Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee.
CourtUnited States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (9th Circuit)

H. Donald Harris, Jr., San Francisco, Cal., for appellant.

Cecil F. Poole, U. S. Atty., and Jerrold M. Ladar, Asst. U.S. Atty., San Francisco, Cal., for appellee.

Before MERRILL and BROWNING, Circuit Judges, and MADDEN, Judge of the Court of Claims.

PER CURIAM.

Following a hearing held on remand pursuant to the mandate of this Court (Polk v. United States, 291 F.2d 230, 232 (1961)), the District Court found as follows: "The undisputed evidence now in the record * * * shows that insofar as defendant was concerned the rear yard and staircase were nothing more than a means of access to the back door of his flat." And further: "When the police officers went to defendant's residence on the night of his arrest, they did so for the perfectly proper purpose of seeking to obtain information regarding the missing marked currency. After they had rapped and shouted at the front door without response, two officers attempted to carry out their mission by going to the rear door. They did so by proceeding through a passageway, pushing past a gate having no latch and standing ajar, and climbing an outside staircase, all of which were for the joint use of the residents of both flats in the house, and which, to all appearances, were open for the use of tradesmen and other persons having legitimate business with any of the residents."

On the basis of the facts thus found, the judgment is affirmed. Compare Ellison v. United States, 93 U.S.App.D.C. 1, 206 F.2d 476, 478 (1953), with Hobson v. United States, 226 F.2d 890, 894 (8th Cir., 1955).

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  • People v. Willard
    • United States
    • California Court of Appeals Court of Appeals
    • November 22, 1965
    ...of the privacy of the defendants' (p. 500, 44 Cal.Rptr. p. 506) citing United States v. Polk (D.C.N.D.Cal.1961) 201 F.Supp. 555, affirmed 314 F.2d 837, and California v. Hurst, supra, 325 F.2d 891, 899, the latter case being relied upon by defendant herein. The court said in King that 'the ......
  • United States v. Williams
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Northern District of Illinois
    • June 17, 1983
    ...v. Conti, 361 F.2d 153, 157 (2d Cir.1966), vacated on other grounds, 390 U.S. 204, 88 S.Ct. 899, 19 L.Ed.2d 1035 (1968); Polk v. United States, 314 F.2d 837 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 375 U.S. 844, 84 S.Ct. 96, 11 L.Ed.2d 72 (1963); United States v. St. Clair, 240 F.Supp. 338 (S.D.N.Y.1965).......
  • U.S. v. Holland
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Second Circuit
    • February 8, 1985
    ...York City brownstone); United States v. Llanes, supra (hallway outside rear ground floor apartment). See also Polk v. United States, 314 F.2d 837 (9th Cir.1963) (per curiam) (outside stairway serving first and second floor flats), cert. denied, 375 U.S. 844, 84 S.Ct. 96, 11 L.Ed.2d 72 This ......
  • U.S. v. Martino
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Second Circuit
    • November 5, 1981
    ...under the old analysis-have cut the other way. See Polk v. United States, 291 F.2d 230, 232 (9th Cir. 1961), aff'd after remand, 314 F.2d 837 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 375 U.S. 844, 84 S.Ct. 96, 11 L.Ed.2d 72 (1963). Since Katz v. United States and its reinforcement by, and perhaps expansio......
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