The US Supreme Court case, United States v. Mara, which involved a dispute over the Fourth Amendment rights of the defendant, was decided on January 22, 1973. The case stemmed from a grand jury request for handwriting exemplars from defendant Samuel Mara, who was charged with making threats by interstate communications. Despite Mara's argument that the request violated his Fourth Amendment rights, the district court ordered him to produce the exemplars. The Supreme Court ultimately overruled the Court of Appeals' decision and held that handwriting exemplars are subject to Fourth Amendment protection. In the opinion written by Justice Potter Stewart, it was also stated that a grand jury subpoena is not considered a seizure under the Fourth Amendment. Johnny Lee Mara, the defendant in the case, appealed his sentence but was unsuccessful.