Chimel v. California - Criminal Justice Worksheet and Answer Key

Crenshaw Criminal Justice Learning Tools Worksheets are designed to be an effective tool in the ongoing effort to encourage students to remain engaged with the information they are learning. The worksheets provided will: 1) Help students identify an underlying big picture, 2) Differentiate instruction, 3) Focus students’ attention, 4) Deliver and summarize content efficiently, and 5) Connect new information to previously covered material.

This worksheet teaches students about Chimel v. California, 395 U.S. 752 (1969), a landmark Supreme Court case in which the court held that police officers arresting a person at his home could not search the entire home without a search warrant, but that police may search the area within immediate reach of the person without a warrant. The rule on searches incident to a lawful arrest within the home is now known as the Chimel Rule.