- Oct 7, 2011
- 38,401
- 4,162
- 1,130
Police Given Direct Line To Cell Phone Searches.
Think about all the personal information we keep in our cell phones: Its something to consider after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled it is now legal for police to search cell phones without a warrant.
Former Dallas FBI Agent Danny Defenbaugh said the ruling gives law enforcement a leg up. I think not only will it help them, but it could be life saving, said the former Special Agent, who was based in Dallas.
The decision stems from an Indiana case where police arrested a man for dealing drugs. An officer searched the suspects cell phone without warrant.
The judge in the appeal case, Judge Richard Posner, agreed that the officer had to search the phone immediately or risk losing valuable evidence. Judge Posner ruled it was a matter of urgency, arguing it was possible for an accomplice to wipe the phone clean using a computer or other remote device.
Defenbaugh says the ruling takes into account exigent or time-sensitive circumstances that could be life saving in more urgent cases, such as child abduction. If the child is alive and youre only minutes behind, that could be critical to recovering that child alive, added Defenbaugh.
Paul Coggins is the former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Coggins says the courts ruling pushes the envelope on privacy issues. Does that mean officers now have the right to search through your phone, search through your search history, your photographs, your e-mails and the rest, because it could all be wiped clean, asked Coggins.
Read More:
Police Given Direct Line To Cell Phone Searches « CBS Dallas / Fort Worth
DRUDGE REPORT 2012®
Think about all the personal information we keep in our cell phones: Its something to consider after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled it is now legal for police to search cell phones without a warrant.
Former Dallas FBI Agent Danny Defenbaugh said the ruling gives law enforcement a leg up. I think not only will it help them, but it could be life saving, said the former Special Agent, who was based in Dallas.
The decision stems from an Indiana case where police arrested a man for dealing drugs. An officer searched the suspects cell phone without warrant.
The judge in the appeal case, Judge Richard Posner, agreed that the officer had to search the phone immediately or risk losing valuable evidence. Judge Posner ruled it was a matter of urgency, arguing it was possible for an accomplice to wipe the phone clean using a computer or other remote device.
Defenbaugh says the ruling takes into account exigent or time-sensitive circumstances that could be life saving in more urgent cases, such as child abduction. If the child is alive and youre only minutes behind, that could be critical to recovering that child alive, added Defenbaugh.
Paul Coggins is the former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Coggins says the courts ruling pushes the envelope on privacy issues. Does that mean officers now have the right to search through your phone, search through your search history, your photographs, your e-mails and the rest, because it could all be wiped clean, asked Coggins.
Read More:
Police Given Direct Line To Cell Phone Searches « CBS Dallas / Fort Worth
DRUDGE REPORT 2012®
