Hot Pursuit Into Residence
Frederick Ferguson fled after committing armed robbery. Officers chased him into a nearby home without a warrant. They searched rooms and seized a handgun on a table to ensure safety during the capture.
Also known as: felons
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A person convicted of a felony.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Frederick Ferguson fled after committing armed robbery. Officers chased him into a nearby home without a warrant. They searched rooms and seized a handgun on a table to ensure safety during the capture.
Farid Farahani faced a felon-in-possession charge after a traffic stop. He offered to stipulate to his prior conviction status. The government instead sought to introduce the full judgment detailing the prior offense.
Fiona Foster received a subpoena to testify about past associates. She invoked the Fifth Amendment based on her prior felony record. The court examined whether her felon status created automatic exposure to new charges.
Freeman Engineering sought a permit for a group home. City officials cited concerns over residents who were felons. The company alleged the denial rested on irrational prejudice against the class.
Francisco Frost carried a firearm within one thousand feet of a school. Prosecutors charged him under the federal statute that also covers felons. The defense challenged the law's reach over purely local conduct.
Fumiko Fujimoto called 911 reporting an assault by her partner. The operator asked for the assailant's identity to warn responding officers. The inquiry focused on whether the caller faced a violent felon.
A felon is a person convicted of a felony. Courts treat the name and nature of the prior conviction as carrying a risk of unfair prejudice that can exceed its probative value when the only disputed fact is the defendant's status.
Supporting sources
Officers in hot pursuit of a fleeing felon may enter a dwelling without a warrant. The search may extend as far as reasonably necessary to prevent escape, ensure officer safety, and seize weapons or evidence found in the process.
A classification based on felon status that burdens a fundamental right such as procreation receives strict scrutiny. The government must show the scheme is necessary to a compelling interest and narrowly tailored.
Supporting sources
…United States v. Bass , 404 U. S. 336 (1971), the Court interpreted former 18 U. S. C. § 1202(a), which made it a crime for a felon to "receiv[e], posses[s], or transpor[t] in commerce or affecting commerce . . . any firearm." 404 U. S., at 337. The Court interpreted the possession component of § 1202(a) to require an…