Police Need a Warrant to Search your Cell Phone

Here’s a scenario that, if you are like many Houston residents, you have faced before. You are driving along, maybe a little too fast, or maybe slightly drifting out of your assigned lane. Before you know it, the ominous “red, white, and blue” lights appear out of nowhere and the shriek of a siren pierces the cozy confines of your vehicle. As you pull over to the shoulder and roll down your window, you hear the familiar refrain: “license, registration, and cell phone, please.” Well, maybe that wasn’t quite the way that exchange usually went before the recent Supreme Court decision in Riley v. California, but most folks who find themselves pulled over by the cops shouldn’t be hearing that command any time soon. Cell Phones Are Different Than Wallets or Address Books In a 9-0 decision, the high court ruled that the 4th amendment’s protection against “unreasonable searches and […]

More