Which Boston lawyer challenged British customs officers in 1761 for searching colonists' homes under broad warrants and hinted at judicial review?

• A. James Otis
• B. Nathaniel Ward
• C. John Adams
• D. Luther Martin

Answer: (A)

The moment tests the idea that government power to search must be restrained by law and rights. In 1761, James Otis, a Boston lawyer, challenged the British use of writs of assistance that allowed customs officers to search colonists’ homes with broad, vague warrants. He argued these warrants violated the colonists’ rights and the principle that legal authority must be tied to specific, lawful procedures rather than unchecked royal power. His argument framed the issue in terms of privacy, property, and constitutional limits, and it suggested that courts should serve as a check on executive overreach—an early hint at the notion of judicial review. That connection to curbing arbitrary power is why Otis is the correct answer.