Charles Katz was a career gambler and the petitioner in Katz v. United States. Katz was charged with conducting illegal gambling operations across state lines in violation of federal law. Katz used a public phone booth to conduct his illegal gambling negotiations. In order to collect evidence against Katz, the FBI placed a tape recorder on top of the Los Angeles phone booth he used to place bets with associates in Boston and Miami. Katz argued the recording was a violation of his Fourth Amendment rights. The Court of Appeals ruled against him and he appealed its decision to the Supreme Court. The Justices concluded Katz was entitled to Fourth Amendment privacy protection for his conversations. Potter Stewart (January 23, 1915 - December 7, 1985) was a lawyer and politician with a powerful Republican family background. He was known as an influential swing vote who helped shape American law. He delivered the majority opinion In Katz v. United States that overturned the Court of Appeals affirmation of the conviction. Justice Stewart stated that “The Fourth Amendment protects people, not places.” Hugo Black (February 27, 1886 – September 25, 1971) was a politician and former Ku Klux Klan member that was eventually known for his civil rights rulings. He was a Supreme Court justice (1937 – 1971) and an advocate for the Fourteenth Amendment. Black was President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first appointment to the Court.