Tag: Search and seizure

The U.S. Supreme Court returns from recess on February 22, 2016 without Justice Antonin Scalia. Below is a brief summary of the Supreme Court’s Case Docket that the Eight justices will consider this month.   Kingdomware Technologies, In...

In Mapp v. Ohio, 367 US 643 (1961), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that evidence obtained through a search in violation of the Fourth Amendment could not be used as evidence in a state criminal case. The decision relied on the doctrine of selective inc...

The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) kicked off its new term on October 5, 2015 and filled about 2/3 of its docket. In total, SCOTUS  granted certiorari in thirteen new cases during its September 28 long conference, bringing the docket to 47.  Last term th...

In Riley v. California, the majority held that police officers must obtain a warrant The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued its most important privacy decision in four decades. In Riley v. California, the majority held that police officers must obta...

Since returning from break, the U.S. Supreme Court justices have been hard at work. One of its most recent criminal decisions may impact the ability of the police to search your house, particularly if you don’t live alone. In Fernandez v. Califo...

The October 2013 Term is in full swing with the U.S. Supreme Court issuing its first opinions. One of the first cases decided, Stanton v. Sims, involved whether police officers are authorized to pursue a fleeing suspect onto a homeowner’s private p...

A federal court judge recently held that New York City’s stop and frisk program runs afoul of the U.S. Constitution. In addition to finding that the practice disproportionately targeted black and Hispanics in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, ...

A mouth swab will soon be as common as a mug shot. In a controversial 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that taking a DNA sample during police booking for serious offenses is reasonable under the Fourth Amendment. The Supreme Court’s DNA ...

In a closely watched case, the U.S. Supreme Court recently held that privacy interests trump law enforcement when it comes to forced blood draws in a drunk driving investigation. Though the justices could not agree on a bright-line rule, the majority...