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United States v. White
Supreme Court of United States (1971)
Respondent/Defendant: White; the defendant was convicted for illegal drug transactions. During the trial, the testimony of federal officers was used who obtained the defendant's conversations with the police informer by wiring the informer and recording the conversations. The court of appeals used Katz v. United States to reverse the conviction.
Issue: Did the recording of the conversation the defendant had with the police informent violated the defendant's Fourth Amendment rights?
Holding: No
Key: At the trial, the prosecution failed to find the informer.
Legal Reasoning: The court ruled that under Hoffa v. United States, the defendant does not have reasonable expectation of privacy when he has a conversation with a colleague who later turns out to be a police informent. The court stated that the defendant takes the risk when he discusses his crime with anyone and his conversation is not protected. The court ruled that the defendant took the risk and now he has no protection. The ruling of the court of appeals was reversed.