UNITED STATES v. U.S. DISTRICT COURT

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Case Basics
Docket No. 
70-153
Petitioner 
United States
Respondent 
U.S. District Court
Decided By 
Burger Court (1972-1975)
Opinion 
407 U.S. 297 (1972)
Argued 
Thursday, February 24, 1972
Decided 
Monday, June 19, 1972
Advocates
Arthur Kinoy
(Argued the cause for the respondents Sinclair et al)
Robert C. Mardian
(Argued the cause for the United States)
William T. Gossett
(Argued the cause for the respondents the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan et al)
Tags
Term:
Location: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
Facts of the Case 

Investigating three people it suspected of conspiring to destroy government property and bombing a Central Intelligence Agency office, officials used electronic surveillance to record suspects' conversations. The wiretapping was conducted without a search warrant.

Question 

Did the wiretapping violate the Fourth Amendment?

Conclusion 
Decision: 8 votes for U.S. District Court, 0 vote(s) against
Legal provision: Amendment 4: Fourth Amendment

The Court held government officials were obligated to obtain a warrant before beginning electronic surveillance even if domestic security issues were involved. The "inherent vagueness of the domestic security concept" and the potential for abusing it to quell political dissent made the Fourth Amendment protections especially important when the government engaged in spying on its own citizens.

Cite this Page
UNITED STATES v. U.S. DISTRICT COURT. The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. 12 February 2012. <http://www.oyez.org/cases/1970-1979/1971/1971_70_153>.
UNITED STATES v. U.S. DISTRICT COURT, The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, http://www.oyez.org/cases/1970-1979/1971/1971_70_153 (last visited February 12, 2012).
"UNITED STATES v. U.S. DISTRICT COURT," The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, accessed February 12, 2012, http://www.oyez.org/cases/1970-1979/1971/1971_70_153.