Giordenello v. United States

Petitioner was convicted of the unlawful purchase of narcotics, see 26 U. S. C. (Supp. V) § 4704, after a trial without a jury before the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Texas. A divided Court of Appeals affirmed. 241 F. 2d 575. We granted certiorari to consider petitioner’s challenge to the legality of his arrest and the admissibility in evidence of the narcotics seized from his person at the time of the arrest. 355 U. S. 811.

Agent Finley of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics obtained a warrant for the arrest of petitioner from the United States Commissioner in Houston,…