In the United States v. Stever case of 1911, the Supreme Court dealt with issues related to land ownership and property rights. The defendant, Mr. Stever, was accused by the U.S government of unlawfully occupying a piece of public land in California which he claimed as his own under an Act passed by Congress in 1866 that allowed individuals to claim up to 160 acres of unreserved public lands for mining purposes. The court ruled against Mr. Stever stating that he had failed to provide sufficient evidence proving that valuable minerals were present on this land at the time when it was first occupied or within a reasonable period thereafter - a requirement necessary for him to legally claim ownership under said Act.

In the dissenting opinion for United States v. Stever, it was argued that the defendant's constitutional rights were violated due to an unlawful search and seizure. The dissenting justices believed that evidence obtained through such means should not be admissible in court as it infringes upon a citizen's Fourth Amendment rights. They contended that allowing this type of evidence would set a dangerous precedent where law enforcement could disregard citizens' constitutional protections with impunity. Furthermore, they expressed concern over potential abuses of power by government officials if such actions were permitted without consequence or oversight from the courts.