Richards v. Wisconsin

Richards v. Wisconsin clarified the Court's position in Wilson v. Arkansas (1995). The Supreme Court affirmed, upholding the common law "knock and announce" rule whereby police are required to knock on the door of a suspect's dwelling and announce their identity and purpose before forcing entry. Richards tested the limits of the "no knock" concept, whereby officers were allowed to enter without announcing themselves, on the basis that to do otherwise would give the suspect too much time to destroy evidence.