Boyd v.

United States
Brief Fact Summary. Certain documents were requested by the government in connection with
a proceeding regarding fraud to avoid paying duties on certain items.
Synopsis of Rule of Law. The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution
(Constitution) protects against the invasion into a persons private matters and will not allow
the government to compel a person to produce private papers through subpoena.

Facts. Several cases of plate glass were confiscated from the defendants by federal
customs agents due to suspicion that certain documents had been falsified for the
purposes of avoiding customs fees or duties. During the course of the proceedings, the
defendants were ordered by the judge to produce documents showing the quantity and
value of the shipments. The defendants protested under the theory that they could not
be compelled to produce evidence against themselves, but the motion was overruled
and
judgment
was
entered
for
the
government.
Issue. Whether a compulsory production of a persons private papers to be used in
evidence against him in a judicial proceeding is an unreasonable search and seizure
within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution?
Held. There need not be a physical invasion of ones home to constitute a violation of
the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure. The Fourth
Amendment of the Constitution protects against the invasion into a persons private
matters. This extends to the compulsory production of a persons papers.
Concurrence. Justice Samuel F. Miller (J. Miller) would have held that this was a
violation of the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution rather than the Fourth Amendment
of the Constitution because, J. Miller argues, this is a criminal proceeding according to
the language of the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.
Discussion. This opinion stands for the proposition that the Fourth and Fifth
Amendments of the Constitution should be more liberally construed