The doctrine of executive privilege is legitimate; however, the president cannot invoke it in criminal cases to withhold evidence. Decided July 24, 1974 (argued July 8, 1974). Opinion of the Court: Warren E. Burger → go there Topic: Domestic. United States v. Nixon, 418 U.S. 683 (1974), is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in which the Court unanimously ordered President Richard Nixon to deliver tape recordings and other subpoenaed materials related to the Watergate scandal to a federal district court. Decided on July 24, 1974, the ruling was important to the late stages of the Watergate scandal, amidst an ongoing process to impeach Richard Nixon. United States v. Nixon is considered a crucial precedent limiting the power of any U.S. president to claim executive privilege. Wiki link