The U.S. Supreme Court case Skinner, Secretary of Transportation, et al. v. Railway Labor Executives' Association et al., 1988 revolved around the constitutionality of mandatory drug and alcohol testing for railway employees involved in accidents or violations of safety rules. The Railway Labor Executives' Association challenged these tests as a violation of the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures without probable cause or individualized suspicion. However, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the government by a 7-2 majority vote stating that such tests were not only reasonable but necessary to ensure public safety given the catastrophic potential consequences associated with rail accidents caused by impaired operators.

In the dissenting opinion for Skinner v. Railway Labor Executives' Association, Justice Marshall argued that mandatory blood and urine tests of railway employees involved in accidents violated their Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches. He contended that these tests were not justified by any special need beyond normal law enforcement requirements, as they did not serve to prevent imminent harm or ensure safety on an ongoing basis. Instead, he saw them as a means of gathering evidence for potential criminal prosecutions or disciplinary actions after incidents had already occurred. Furthermore, he believed the majority's decision failed to adequately consider the intrusive nature of such testing procedures and their impact on individuals' privacy rights.