In the case of Thomas v. Arizona in 1957, the U.S Supreme Court overturned a decision by the Arizona Supreme Court that had upheld a conviction for lewd and lascivious acts. The defendant, Mr. Thomas, was accused of committing these acts with his minor stepdaughter but he argued that there wasn't enough evidence to support this claim as it relied solely on her testimony without any corroboration from other sources or physical evidence. He also claimed that his constitutional rights were violated because he was not allowed to cross-examine his accuser properly during trial due to restrictions placed by state law at that time which limited questioning about prior sexual conduct in such cases. The U.S Supreme Court agreed with him and held that under the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause, an accused has a right to confront witnesses against them fully and effectively which includes probing into their credibility through cross-examination.

In the dissenting opinion for Thomas v. Arizona, it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold a conviction based on evidence obtained through an illegal search and seizure violated the Fourth Amendment rights of the defendant. The dissenters believed that this ruling set a dangerous precedent by allowing law enforcement officers to disregard constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures in pursuit of criminal convictions. They contended that such practices undermine public trust in law enforcement agencies and erode civil liberties, which are fundamental aspects of American democracy. Furthermore, they expressed concern about potential abuses of power if police were given free rein to conduct unlawful searches without fear of legal repercussions or exclusionary rules regarding illegally obtained evidence.