Which court case emphasized the need for a subjective expectation of privacy?

The case that emphasized the need for a subjective expectation of privacy is Katz v. United States. This landmark Supreme Court decision established the principle that the Fourth Amendment protects people, not just places. The case revolved around the use of wiretapping by law enforcement to gather evidence without a warrant.

In its ruling, the Court introduced the concept of a subjective expectation of privacy, which means that an individual must have an actual expectation of privacy in the situation at hand. The Court determined that Katz had a reasonable expectation of privacy while he was in a phone booth, even though the booth was in a public place. This case fundamentally shifted the understanding and application of the Fourth Amendment regarding privacy rights, highlighting that privacy rights extend to situations where individuals have a personal expectation of being free from government intrusion, regardless of the physical location.

In contrast, the other cases mentioned focus on different aspects of law. Mapp v. Ohio deals with the exclusionary rule, Gideon v. Wainwright addresses the right to counsel, and Miranda v. Arizona involves the rights of individuals in custody. Each of those cases contributes important principles to criminal law but does not center on the concept of subjective expectations of privacy as emphasized in Katz.