Though some may say current laws are sufficient, they are fuzzy in this area, and measures like this one clarify the issue. Excerpts from the Article: Michigan voters have approved Proposal 2, which amends the Michigan Constitution to protect electronic data and communications in the same way the law protects your home and papers from unsreasonable search and seizure. You can track the results below: Michigan voters will see two statewide...
Government Treats Protesting Cities as Enemies of the State
This is all wrong and very dangerous to our freedoms! Government watchdog organizations are reporting that multiple government agencies employed high-tech surveillance aircraft over cities with demonstrations over the police killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd. On June 2, thousands of protestors took to the streets in major cities across the U.S. to call for an end to police brutality. In response, cities such as...
Maryland Court of Appeals: Odor of Marijuana Alone Doesn’t Provide Probable Cause to Arrest and Search Person
The Court notes the difference between a vehicle search and the search of a person. Also, the odor of pot alone is not probable cause for a search in the 33 states that have legalized pot. Excerpts from the Article: The Court of Appeals of Maryland held that the odor of marijuana emanating from a person alone does not provide police with probable cause to support an arrest and warrantless search incident to the arrest. Rasherd Lewis was...
Wisconsin Supreme Court: Officers Wrongly Inventoried Vehicle for Towing, Requiring Suppression of Evidence
Though it is not clear whether the officers here were trying to conduct a “sneaky” search – one they knew to be unlawful – this decision is correct, and because the search was not valid, the evidence had to be disregarded – suppressed. Excerpts from the Article: The Supreme Court of Wisconsin held that the Court of Appeals erred when it affirmed the denial of a suppression motion because officers were not acting in...
Washington Federal Court: Looking at Lock Phone Screen Requires Warrant
Search and Seizure with cell phones is usually straightforward. Police cannot inspect the contents of your phone without a warrant, with certain exceptions, like and emergency. Such as: A shoots B. The cops arrive 3 minutes after the shooting and use C’s phone to ID the shooter, who was recorded by C. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle ruled that the FBI conducted an illegal search of a...