California v. Greenwood 6-2 vote, May 16, 1988 _________________________________________________________________ The police, acting on a tip that Billy Greenwood was dealing in illegal narcotics, searched trash bags out on his curb. Finding paraphernalia associated with drug use in the garbage bags, the police applied for a search warrant; they included in their affidavits descriptions of what they had found in the garbage. Based on evidence from both the garbage can and the subsequent search, Greenwood was convicted of drug-related charges. He appealed to the Supreme Court, claiming that the search of his garbage was warrantless and therefore illegal. The Supreme Court upheld the search, claiming that the bags of trash left on the side of the street were open to inspection by "animals, children, scavengers, snoops, and other members of the public." Justices Marshall and Brennan dissented, reasoning the search of another person's garbage did not constitute civilized behavior, and therefore a person has the right to expect that the contents of any opaque container thrown out or transported will remain private. Nevertheless, the garbage was ruled public domain and the evidence was admissable.