The decision overturned Trupiano v. United States (1948), which had banned such searches.

Federal agents then conducted a warrantless 90 min search of the office, finding an additional 573 forged stamps.

Rabinowitz unsuccessfully moved to exclude this evidence from his subsequent trial, but the motion was denied.

He was convicted, but the appellate court reversed the verdict and ruled his rights under the Fourth Amendment had been violated.

Writing for the majority, Justice Sherman Minton wrote that only "unreasonable" searches were banned under the Fourth Amendment; searching the office of a suspected forger at the site of his lawful arrest was held to be reasonable.