Katz vs. United States (1967)
Details of the Case: Federal agents believed that Katz was distributing gambling information over the phone so they installed an eavesdropping device to the outside of the telephone booth that they knew Katz used. They recorded conversations and with this evidence they convicted Katz of illegal transmission of gambling information. They had evidence of this on eight separate occasions.
Decision and Justification: 7 votes for Katz, 1 vote against. The court ruled that the FBI's eavesdropping was a violation of the 4th Amendment because the Amendment protects people, not places. His conversations were protected under this law and in order for eavesdroppping to have been legal, the FBI would have needed a search warrant to tap into the pay phone.
Lasting Effect: The court still holds the decision of whether or not evidence obtained from wire tapping a phone is usable or not according to the circumstances and the 4th Amendment.
Important Details: The FBI had undergone thorough surveillance before wire tapping the phone, but this didn't excuse them for using protected conversation against Katz in court.
Decision and Justification: 7 votes for Katz, 1 vote against. The court ruled that the FBI's eavesdropping was a violation of the 4th Amendment because the Amendment protects people, not places. His conversations were protected under this law and in order for eavesdroppping to have been legal, the FBI would have needed a search warrant to tap into the pay phone.
Lasting Effect: The court still holds the decision of whether or not evidence obtained from wire tapping a phone is usable or not according to the circumstances and the 4th Amendment.
Important Details: The FBI had undergone thorough surveillance before wire tapping the phone, but this didn't excuse them for using protected conversation against Katz in court.