Which case contributed to the understanding of evidence categories that may prompt a search?

The case of Katz v. U.S. is pivotal in shaping the modern understanding of search and seizure, particularly in relation to privacy. The Supreme Court's ruling established the principle that the Fourth Amendment protects people, not just places, which significantly expanded the definition of what constitutes a search. In this case, the Court held that government surveillance of a conversation recorded through a public telephone booth constituted a search and required a warrant because individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy in certain communications.

This decision introduced the two-pronged test for determining whether an expectation of privacy is reasonable, which examines whether the individual exhibited an actual subjective expectation of privacy and whether that expectation is one that society is prepared to recognize as reasonable. This framework has been instrumental in subsequent cases regarding evidence categories that may prompt a search, influencing how courts evaluate privacy expectations in various contexts today.

The other cases, while significant in their own rights, focus on different aspects of search and seizure. Carroll v. U.S. primarily addressed warrantless searches of automobiles under certain conditions, establishing the automobile exception. Terry v. Ohio introduced the concept of stop-and-frisk based on reasonable suspicion, and Mapp v. Ohio incorporated the exclusionary rule against the states, ensuring that illegally obtained evidence cannot be