4th Amendment

6 Stories

Supreme Court Upholds DNA Swabs of Those Under Arrest

Not a violation of 4th Amendment

(Newser) - DNA swabbing the cheek of a person arrested—but not yet convicted—for a "serious offense" is just as acceptable as fingerprinting and photographing that person, the Supreme Court ruled today. Such DNA swabs do not violate a person's Fourth Amendment protection from unreasonable searches, the justices found....

Supreme Court Tosses Lawsuit Against Ashcroft

He did not misuse power, justices agree in 8-0 vote

(Newser) - John Ashcroft is off the hook. The Supreme Court tossed out a lawsuit against the former attorney general in an 8-0 vote today, finding that he did not misuse his power or violate the 4th Amendment. American Muslim Abdullah al-Kidd sued after being arrested at Dulles Airport and held for...

ACLU Wants Information on How Often Michigan Police Take Data Off Drivers' Cell Phones
Michigan Cops Scan Your
Cell Phone Data: ACLU
in case you missed it

Michigan Cops Scan Your Cell Phone Data: ACLU

State police have device that extracts information from mobiles

(Newser) - The ACLU is worried that Michigan state troopers are violating 4th Amendment rights by using a gizmo that quickly scans drivers' cell phones during routine traffic stops and extracts information, reports The Truth About Cars blog . The group accuses the state of dodging Freedom of Information requests on how often...

Flier Sues TSA Over Scanners
 Flier Sues TSA Over Scanners 

Flier Sues TSA Over Scanners

Robert Dean says 4th Amendment rights violated

(Newser) - Plenty of travelers have been complaining that the TSA's full-body scanners violate their privacy ... but do they violate the Constitution? An Arkansas man says they do. He has filed a lawsuit against the TSA in federal court in Little Rock, claiming that the scanners hurt his "emotional, psychological and...

At 89, Influential Justice Stevens Isn't Budging

Oldest Supreme is vindicated as dissents become majorities

(Newser) - John Paul Stevens turned 89 last week, and the senior associate justice of the Supreme Court has lived to see many of his dissenting opinions eventually become the majority during his 33 years on the court. Stevens—who has given no indications of impending retirement—has led a number of...

Court Limits Bosses' Access to Staff Emails

Landmark ruling extends constitutional protections to electronic communication

(Newser) - A federal court has ruled that emails and text messages on work accounts—routinely monitored by some employers—are protected by constitutional safeguards against unreasonable search and seizure. The ruling only applies to electronic communications supplied through outside servers, not internal systems. The ruling forbids service providers from handing over...

6 Stories