What was the decision in Draper v United States?
Asked by: Prof. Ola Greenholt | Last update: February 1, 2026Score: 4.1/5 (26 votes)
In the landmark 1959 case Draper v. United States, the Supreme Court held that an arrest and subsequent seizure of narcotics were lawful, establishing that probable cause for an arrest can be based on the detailed, corroborated information from a reliable informant, even if it's hearsay, because the standard for probable cause is less strict than proving guilt at trial. The Court affirmed Draper's conviction, finding the agent had sufficient "reasonable grounds" to believe a crime was occurring based on the informant's accurate description of Draper and his arrival details.
What happened in Draper v. United States?
The district court dismissed the motion after finding that the officers had probable cause to arrest Draper without a warrant and therefore the evidence was the fruit of a lawful search. Draper was tried and convicted of knowingly concealing and transporting drugs.
What was the Supreme Court decision in the United States v Jones case?
Opinion of the Court. Justice Antonin Scalia delivered the opinion of the 5-4 majority. On January 23, 2012, the Supreme Court held that the Government's installation of a GPS device on a target's vehicle, and its use of that device to monitor the vehicle's movements, constitutes a "search" under the Fourth Amendment.
What are the two Supreme Court decisions that specifically address entrapment?
The two most recent Supreme Court cases on the entrapment defense are Mathews v. United States, 485 U.S. 58, 63 (1988) and Jacobson v. United States, 503 U.S. 540, 548 (1992).
What is the significance of the 4th Amendment?
The Constitution, through the Fourth Amendment, protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. The Fourth Amendment, however, is not a guarantee against all searches and seizures, but only those that are deemed unreasonable under the law.
Draper v. United States Case Brief Summary | Law Case Explained
What does amendment 4 mean in simple terms?
The Fourth Amendment, simplified, means the government can't search you or your stuff (home, papers, effects) or take things/arrest you without a good reason (probable cause) and usually a warrant, which must specifically describe what they're looking for; it protects your right to privacy from unreasonable government intrusion.
What is the Fourth Amendment ruling?
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
In Brigham City v. Stuart, 547 U. S. 398, 400, the Court held that the Fourth Amendment allows police officers to enter a home without a warrant if they have an “objectively reasonable basis for believing” that someone inside needs emergency assistance.
What is the only crime mentioned in the U.S. Constitution?
Treason is a unique offense in our constitutional order—the only crime expressly defined by the Constitution, and applying only to Americans who have betrayed the allegiance they are presumed to owe the United States.
How hard is it to prove entrapment?
Entrapment can be challenging to prove because it often relies on subjective factors like intent and persuasion. The state may argue that you were already inclined to commit the crime, for instance, or that the officer simply gave you the chance to do what you wanted to do.
What is the Graham v. Connor case?
Graham v. Connor (1989) is a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case establishing that police use-of-force claims must be judged by the Fourth Amendment's "objective reasonableness" standard, not subjective intent, meaning officers' actions are assessed from a reasonable officer's perspective on the scene, considering the severity of the crime, threat level, and resistance. The story involves diabetic Mr. Graham, who, experiencing an insulin reaction, was mistakenly tackled and restrained by officers (like Officer Connor) who thought he was drunk or involved in a crime, leading to injuries and a crucial ruling on police conduct.
What was the decision in Clinton v New York?
In a majority opinion written by Justice John Paul Stevens, the Court ruled that because the Act allowed the President to unilaterally amend or repeal parts of duly enacted statutes by using line-item cancellations, it violated the Presentment Clause of the Constitution, which outlines a specific practice for enacting ...
What was the ruling in the Supreme Court case Miller v. Johnson?
Decision of the Court
Justice Kennedy wrote the majority opinion for the Court. Ruling against the district, the Court declared the district unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, according to the interpretation in Shaw v. Reno (1993).
What is the famous case of illegal search and seizure?
Brendlin v. California. This Fourth Amendment activity is based on the landmark Supreme Court case Brendlin v. California, dealing with search and seizure during a traffic stop.
Is probable cause 51 percent?
Some courts and scholars have suggested probable cause could, in some circumstances, allow for a fact to be established as true to a standard of less than 51%, but as of August 2019, the United States Supreme Court has never ruled that the quantification of probable cause is anything less than 51%.
What did the Supreme Court rule unconstitutional in 1972?
On June 29, 1972, the Court decided in a complicated ruling, Furman v. Georgia, that the application of the death penalty in three cases was unconstitutional.
What rights are inmates given by the Fourteenth Amendment?
Additionally, the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment applies to incarcerated individuals, protecting them against unequal treatment on the basis of race, sex, and creed, and the Model Sentencing and Corrections Act, created by the Uniform Law Commission in 1978, provides that a confined person has a ...
What does entrapment mean in simple words?
To catch by artifices; to involve in difficulties or distresses; to entangle; to catch or involve in contraindications; in short, to involve in any difficulties from which an escape is not easy or possible. We are entrapped by the devices of evil men. We are sometimes entrapped in our own words.
Is baiting someone illegal?
Making drugs easily accessible to someone known to buy drugs or leaving a “bait car” with the keys in it for someone who is a known thief, is generally considered a trap, not entrapment and therefore, legal.
What are the two tests for entrapment?
The two tests of entrapment are subjective entrapment and objective entrapment. The federal government and the majority of the states recognize the subjective entrapment defense (Connecticut Jury Instruction on Entrapment, 2010).
Who was the last person charged with treason?
Since 1954, however, only one person has been charged with treason against the United States. And that single instance was relatively unusual: in 2006, a federal grand jury indicted Adam Gadahn for treason based on his participation in several al-Qaeda propaganda videos.
What is the only crime mentioned by name in the U.S. Constitution?
Treason is the only crime defined in the Constitution of the United States. It is the act of waging war against the United States or materially aiding its enemies.
What is the U.S. Code 18?
Title 18 of the United States Code is the primary federal law covering Crimes and Criminal Procedure, encompassing federal offenses, court processes, prisons, and witness immunity, divided into five main parts: Crimes, Criminal Procedure, Prisons and Prisoners, Correction of Youthful Offenders, and Immunity of Witnesses, covering everything from espionage and terrorism to fraud and general criminal principles like aiding and abetting.
Can police enter your backyard without permission?
No, police generally cannot enter your backyard without permission or a warrant, as it's protected by the Fourth Amendment, but exceptions exist for emergencies (like hot pursuit or immediate danger), consent, open fields doctrine (if far from the house), plain view of a crime, or if someone on probation/parole allows it. They can usually approach your door if it's public access, but climbing a fence or entering a locked area without justification is a violation.
What is forbidden by the Fourth Amendment?
The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides that "[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly ...
What is the Terry v. Ohio case about?
Terry v. Ohio (1968) is a landmark Supreme Court case that established the "stop and frisk" doctrine, allowing police to briefly detain (stop) and pat down (frisk) individuals for weapons without probable cause for arrest if they have reasonable suspicion that the person is armed and dangerous, balancing officer safety and public interest against Fourth Amendment rights. This created a new standard for limited police action, distinct from arrests requiring probable cause, recognizing police need to investigate suspicious activity while ensuring officer safety.