us-supreme-court fourth-amendment homicide
Thompson v Louisiana 1984 - Murderer convicted?
<p>I am reading about the case Thompson v Louisiana from 1984 when SCOTUS decided that evidence obtained during a search without a search warrant couldn't be used in the case. But besides the SCOTUS-case itself, what happened to the murderer? Has she been convicted despite law enforcement unable to use some obtained evidence?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.fletc.gov/sites/default/files/imported_files/training/programs/legal-division/downloads-articles-and-faqs/research-by-subject/4th-amendment/murdersceneexception.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">enter link description here</a></p>

<p>So, in this case, it appears that the chronology was thus:</p>
<ol>
<li>Trial Court suppressed evidence, on 4th Amendment grounds</li>
<li>The Appeals court denied review (I also saw a source that said the Appeals Court reversed the Trial Court, and the LASC agreed with the Appeals Court, but the documentation doesn't seem to support that).</li>
<li>State Supreme Court overturned the Trial Court's ruling; the LASC decreed &quot;For the reasons stated, the ruling of the trial court is reversed and the case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.&quot; (<a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/louisiana/supreme-court/1984/82-kk-2859-1.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://law.justia.com/cases/louisiana/supreme-court/1984/82-kk-2859-1.html</a>), which to me suggested that the Trial Court recorded a dismissal or acquittal).</li>
<li>US Supreme Court overturned the State Supreme Court ruling, but did not make a similar decree (<a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/469/17/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/469/17/</a>). Based on this omission, my deduction is that the Trial Court's original ruling (and therefore its decision) stood. Since the defendant was free, there was no need for further legal action.</li>
</ol>
<p>A more complete answer might find the original case, which seems to be &quot;STATE of Louisiana v. Lillian THOMPSON. No. 82-KK-2859.&quot;, but I can't seem to be able to find it right now.</p>
