This week, in a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that evidence obtained in unlawful stops can be admitted in court if the person being searched has a warrant out for their arrest. This contrasted the lower court’s decision, which stated that the 4th amendment prevents illegally-obtained evidence from being used at trial. The […]
An appeals court ruled recently that police don’t need a warrant to access your cell phone’s location data. Several cases challenging law enforcement’s warrantless access to location data have come up in recent years as cell phones technology advanced. The recent ruling, despite dealing with new technology, is based on a precedent set by court […]
It all comes down to one question: where do we draw the line between citizens’ Fourth Amendment rights and the rights of the government to conduct warrantless searches?
Should police officers be obligated to inform suspects when they can refuse to be searched? Why might it be wise to refuse to consent to a search, even if the person being searched is not guilty of a crime and has ‘nothing to hide?’