Colonial Americans were intimately familiar with the invasive power of government. British officials ransacked their homes and arrested them without warrants. The purpose of the Fourth Amendment is to prevent such arbitrary actions and protect Americans’ privacy against the government. In the words of Justice Louis Brandeis, the Fourth Amendment secures “the right to be let alone—the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men.” Therefore, the Fourth Amendment requires that searches and seizures must be reasonable, and that warrants for searches and arrests must be specific. One of the most controversial Fourth Amendment questions is whether evidence from an illegal search should be excluded at a criminal trial. The Supreme Court is constantly trying to find the right balance under the Fourth Amendment between catching criminals and protecting privacy.