In the case of United States v. Jacobs, also known as 'Mrs. Kramer', the defendant was convicted for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine in violation of federal law. The primary issue at hand was whether or not a warrantless search of her purse by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents violated her Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures. The Supreme Court held that it did not, because she had voluntarily abandoned her purse before the search took place, thereby relinquishing any expectation of privacy she might have had in its contents. This decision hinged on evidence showing that Mrs. Kramer threw away her bag when approached by DEA agents after exiting an airplane from Colombia - a country known for drug trafficking - thus demonstrating an intention to disclaim ownership over it.

The dissenting opinion in the United States v. Jacobs case argued that the majority's decision to uphold a conviction based on evidence obtained through warrantless wiretapping was incorrect and violated Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures. The dissent contended that there were no exigent circumstances justifying such an intrusion, as required by previous Supreme Court rulings for exceptions to the warrant requirement. Furthermore, they disagreed with the majority's view that consent from one party involved in a conversation made it permissible to record without a warrant; they believed this undermined privacy rights of individuals who did not give their consent. They also expressed concern about potential abuses of power if law enforcement agencies could freely engage in surveillance activities without judicial oversight or control.