In a 9 - 0 decision, the Supreme Court unanimously found that police need a search warrant to search someone's cellphone. In Riley v California, writing for the full court, Chief Justice Roberts pointed out that cell phone is a misnomer - it can be called many things because it is much more than a portable cellphone; he is quoted by the New York Times
"Even the word 'cellphone' is a misnomer, he said. 'They could just as easily be called cameras, video players, Rolodexes, calendars, tape recorders, libraries, diaries, albums, televisions, maps or newspapers,' he wrote."
For once the entire Supreme Court got it absolutely correct - a cell phone is effectively a mobile computer that has built in video and still cameras, among other things. Just as the police need a warrant to search a desktop or laptop computer, they need a warrant to search that thing you still call a cellphone.
For those interested in more detail, you can go to Scotusblog or the full Supreme Court decision.
"Even the word 'cellphone' is a misnomer, he said. 'They could just as easily be called cameras, video players, Rolodexes, calendars, tape recorders, libraries, diaries, albums, televisions, maps or newspapers,' he wrote."
For once the entire Supreme Court got it absolutely correct - a cell phone is effectively a mobile computer that has built in video and still cameras, among other things. Just as the police need a warrant to search a desktop or laptop computer, they need a warrant to search that thing you still call a cellphone.
For those interested in more detail, you can go to Scotusblog or the full Supreme Court decision.
No comments:
Post a Comment