Miller v. United States  Miller v. United States, 357 U.S. 301 (1958), was a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court, which held that one could not lawfully be arrested in one's home by officers breaking in without first giving one notice of their authority and purpose. At 1:35 a.m., on March 25, 1955, Federal Bureau of Narcotics agents, serving an arrest warrant, arrested a heroin user, Clifford Reed, on a public street in Washington, DC, for various offenses related to narcotics. While in custody, Reed informed federal narcotics agents that he had purchased 100 capsules of morphine from a drug dealer, Arthur R. Shepherd, via a middleman, William Miller, who was 17 years old at the time. Miller had had several run-ins with the law and had been convicted of a narcotics offense in 1953. Reed told agents that he was to meet Shepherd in the later morning hours to make another purchase. The agents then enlisted Reed to aid in the capture of Miller and Shepherd. Later, at about 3:00 a.m., an undercover agent carrying $100 in marked currency went to Shepherd's home with Reed by taxicab. Reed introduced the agent to Shepherd as a buyer. The agent gave Shepherd the money, and Shepherd promised that another 100 capsules would be procured from Miller and delivered to the agent's home. Shepherd went by taxi to Miller's apartment. The taxi was monitored by federal agents, along with Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police officers. Shepherd got out of the taxi and went into the apartment, which Miller shared with a woman, Bessie Smith, who was involved in the operation. He entered the basement to remove the drugs from storage, but federal agents could not observe him there. A few minutes later, he came out of the basement and re-entered the cab. Shepherd was going back to Reed's apartment when the police officers pulled the car over, and he was then arrested and searched. The currency that was given to him by the agent was not found on his person, but he admitted to the officers that the 100 capsules of morphine found on the passenger seat were put there by him after the cab was pulled over. He claimed that the package of capsules was behind a fire extinguisher in the basement hallway, where he was sent by a "fellow" with Reed, who had promised him $10 for retrieving it. The federal agents and police then returned to Miller's apartment. At about 3:45, they knocked on the door, and a low voice was heard, saying, "Who's there?"