Home > Great American Court Cases > Draper v. United States

Legal Citation: 358 U.S. 307 (1959)

Petitioner
James Draper

Respondent
United States

Petitioner's Claim
That the search of petitioner and seizure of heroin following his warrantless arrest by a federal narcotics agent violated the Fourth Amendment because the arrest was based solely on information from a paid informant.

Chief Lawyer for Petitioner
Osmond K. Fraenkel

Chief Lawyer for Respondent
Leonard B. Sand

Justices for the Court
Hugo Lafayette Black, William J. Brennan, Jr., Tom C. Clark, John Marshall Harlan II, Potter Stewart, Charles Evans Whittaker (writing for the Court)

Justices Dissenting
William O. Douglas (Felix Frankfurter and Earl Warren did not participate)

Place
Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision
26 January 1959

Decision
Upheld the lower...