State v. Stevens

The question presented by this case is whether one can be convicted for carrying a concealed switchblade within one’s own home. We conclude that the answer is “no.”

On March 27, 1990, officers went to defendant’s residence to execute an arrest warrant. Defendant’s wife answered the door and indicated that he was not at home. The officers asked if they could search the residence, and she consented. Defendant was found hiding under a pile of clothes in an upstairs bedroom. He was frisked, then handcuffed and taken outside to a patrol car. Before placing him in the car, another search was…