A) Roe v. Wade (1973) INCORRECT This case is a landmark decision on abortion rights, recognizing a woman's constitutional right to privacy under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. It does not directly address Fourth Amendment protections or the exclusionary rule. While it involves privacy, it is not about searches and seizures, and it was decided over a decade after Mapp. Therefore, it does not impact Fourth Amendment protections at the state level in the same way.
B) Mapp v. Ohio (1961) CORRECT This case is the correct answer because it specifically applied the exclusionary rule to the states, thereby incorporating the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. The Supreme Court ruled that evidence obtained illegally by state officers cannot be used in state courts, ensuring that state law enforcement must respect the same constitutional standards as federal officers. This decision was a major step in the process of selective incorporation, using the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause to apply the Bill of Rights to the states.
C) Miranda v. Arizona (1966) INCORRECT This case established the requirement for police to inform suspects of their rights to remain silent and to have an attorney during custodial interrogations, known as Miranda rights. It is based on the Fifth Amendment's protection against self-incrimination and the Sixth Amendment's right to counsel, not the Fourth Amendment. While it also applied to state proceedings, it does not concern searches and seizures, making it an incorrect choice for this question.
D) District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) INCORRECT This case affirmed an individual's right to possess a firearm for self-defense within the home, under the Second Amendment. It was a challenge to a federal law in the District of Columbia, and the Supreme Court did not incorporate the Second Amendment to the states until later in McDonald v. Chicago (2010). This case does not involve the Fourth Amendment or the exclusionary rule, so it is not relevant to the question.
