Camara v. Municipal Court

In Camara v. Municipal Court, 387 U.S. 523, 87 S. Ct. 1727, 18 L. Ed. 2d 930 (1967), a city inspector sought to enter a lessee's residence to investigate possible housing code violations. Id. at 526. When the lessee refused to consent to the inspection, he was criminally charged with violating a city ordinance that authorized inspectors to enter all premises within the city for purposes of carrying out their official duties. Id. at 526-27. The Court held that under the facts, the lessee had a Fourth Amendment right to insist that the inspector obtain an administrative search warrant, and could not constitutionally be convicted for refusing to consent to the inspection. Id. at 540.