Fourth Amendment

WikiLeaks founder’s lawyers allege CIA authorized spying on their visits

Lawyers for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange are suing the CIA and former CIA director Mike Pompeo for allegedly recording their conversations and copying data from their electronic devices.

Aug 16, 2022 11:19 AM CDT

Chalking tires is unconstitutional, federal judge rules, but plaintiffs won’t get traffic-ticket refunds as damages

The practice of chalking tires to track how long cars are parked in the city of Saginaw, Michigan, is an unconstitutional search under the Fourth Amendment, a federal judge ruled Monday.

Aug 10, 2022 3:09 PM CDT

Federal judge tosses lawyer’s suit over cellphone border search

A federal judge in Texas has ruled against an immigration lawyer who contended that the government violated his constitutional rights when it seized his cellphone at the border.

Aug 9, 2022 12:19 PM CDT

After collaborating with bestselling author, judge discusses new solo book

After several collaborations with bestselling author James Patterson, Judge David Ellis of Illinois, a prolific novelist, decided to go it alone for his latest book, Look Closer.

Jul 27, 2022 8:41 AM CDT

The modern US Border Patrol is a national police force with dangerous capabilities, author warns

In Nobody is Protected: How the Border Patrol Became the Most Dangerous Police Force in the United States, geographer Reece Jones argues that Supreme Court precedent, a growing workforce and mission creep have made the U.S. Border Patrol a national police force that operates without appropriate accountability.

Jul 13, 2022 9:00 AM CDT

Teen charged in deadly fire challenges police use of Google searches to find suspects

Lawyers for a Denver teenager charged in an arson fire that killed five people contend that police unconstitutionally used Google’s database of keyword searches to find suspects.

Jul 6, 2022 10:52 AM CDT

Federal appeals court tosses injured lawyer’s Fourth Amendment claim against ICE agent

An agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has qualified immunity from a Fourth Amendment claim in a lawsuit filed by an injured lawyer, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Jun 22, 2022 8:37 AM CDT

Are driverless car searches constitutional?

Whether we like it or not, automated, driverless vehicles are quickly becoming a reality and a norm in our society. Along with all the benefits the technology and associated services provide, there are also detriments—for civilians and law enforcement alike.

Jun 13, 2022 8:35 AM CDT

Supreme Court protects Border Patrol agents from constitutional claims; dissent hits ‘drive-by’ immunity

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled against the owner of the “aptly named” Smuggler’s Inn in his quest to sue a Border Patrol agent for allegedly roughing him up and then retaliating against him for reporting the incident.

Jun 8, 2022 1:52 PM CDT

What does the original Roe v. Wade really say?

The U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to strike down Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision from 1973 that established a woman’s constitutional right to abortion. Norma McCorvey, a single, pregnant woman in Texas, brought a federal lawsuit in 1970 against district attorney Henry Wade, alleging that Texas criminal abortion statutes that originated in 1854 were unconstitutional.

May 3, 2022 2:23 PM CDT

Man who created fake police Facebook page can’t recover damages for his arrest, 6th Circuit says

A man who created a fake police department page on Facebook can’t obtain damages against officers who arrested him, searched his home and seized his phone and laptop, a federal appeals court has ruled.

May 2, 2022 3:03 PM CDT

Judges who approve no-knock warrants rarely question police requests, Washington Post probe finds

Police requests for no-knock warrants are rarely questioned by judges who are supposed to review the applications to ensure protection from unreasonable searches, according to an investigation by the Washington Post.

Apr 19, 2022 12:40 PM CDT

Deputy who witnessed ‘skivvies’-clad colleague baptize woman after traffic stop can’t escape suit, federal judge rules

A woman who claims that she allowed a “skivvies”-clad Tennessee sheriff’s deputy to baptize her based on his promise of leniency can continue to pursue her lawsuit against another deputy who witnessed the “desacralized rite,” a federal judge has ruled.

Apr 13, 2022 1:18 PM CDT

SCOTUS rules for plaintiff who sued police after prosecutors dropped resisting-arrest charge

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Monday that a plaintiff can pursue his Fourth Amendment lawsuit against police officers for malicious prosecution as long as his prosecution ended without a conviction.

Apr 4, 2022 12:15 PM CDT

8th Circuit refuses to toss suit over kettling said to sweep up innocent bystanders during protests

A federal appeals court has refused to toss a lawsuit by a St. Louis man who claims that police violated his constitutional rights during a protest when they boxed him and other innocent bystanders into an intersection and made mass arrests.

Feb 4, 2022 9:46 AM CST