Katz v. United States
United States Supreme Court
389 U.S. 347 (1967)
Relevant factsFree
Katz (defendant) was convicted of violating federal gambling laws after the prosecution introduced recordings of his end of phone calls made from a public phone booth. FBI agents had obtained the recordings by placing a wiretap on the outside of the booth without a warrant. The court of appeals upheld admission of the recordings, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.
IssueFree
Whether the unwarranted wiretapping of a public phone booth constitutes a search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment.