Katz v. United States
Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347 (1967), was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court redefined what constitutes a "search" or "seizure" with regard to the protections of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The ruling expanded the Fourth Amendment's protections from an individual's "persons, houses, papers, and effects", as specified in the Constitution's text, to include any areas where a person has a "reasonable expectation of privacy". The reasonable expectation of privacy standard, now known as the Katz test, was formulated in a concurring opinion by Justice John Marshall Harlan II.
| Katz v. United States | |
|---|---|
Supreme Court of the United States | |
| Argued October 17, 1967 Decided December 18, 1967 | |
| Full case name | Charles Katz v. United States, Leach-Lewis v. Bd. of Supervisors |
| Citations | 389 U.S. 347 (more) 88 S. Ct. 507; 19 L. Ed. 2d 576; 1967 U.S. LEXIS 2 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | 369 F.2d 130 (9th Cir. 1966); cert. granted, 386 U.S. 954 (1967). |
| Holding | |
| The Fourth Amendment's protection from unreasonable search and seizure extends to any area where a person has a "reasonable expectation of privacy." | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Stewart, joined by Warren, Douglas, Harlan, Brennan, White, Fortas |
| Concurrence | Douglas, joined by Brennan |
| Concurrence | Harlan |
| Concurrence | White |
| Dissent | Black |
| Marshall took no part in the consideration or decision of the case. | |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend. IV | |
This case overturned a previous ruling or rulings | |
| Olmstead v. United States (1928) | |
The Katz test has since been used in numerous cases, particularly because of technological advances that create new questions about privacy norms and government surveillance of personal data.