Congress Mulls Passing Most Intrusive Federal Surveillance Bill Available (Update: Bill Is Dead 'For Now')
This FISA renewal bill would essentially gut the Fourth Amendment.
Fourth Amendment
Jury Rejects Damages for Victims of Pot Raid Based on Wet Tea Leaves
The jurors seem to have concluded that the bumbling drug warriors of Johnson County, Kansas, were incompetent rather than dishonest.
Justices Alito and Gorsuch Clash Over Cellphones, Privacy, and Property Rights
Oral arguments in Carpenter v. U.S. reveal a division between two conservative justices.
These Three Cases Define This Month at the Supreme Court Term: Podcast
How to think about gay wedding cakes, Fourth Amendment rights, and whether the federal government can ban sports betting. Plus: How will Neil Gorsuch vote?
Court to Cops: Forcing a Teenager to Masturbate in Front of You Is Not Reasonable
A detective who was later charged with molesting children performed the humiliating search while investigating consensual sexting.
Cops Steal $91,800 From a Musician, Claiming He Gave It to Them
Wyoming's roadside waivers are a thin disguise for highway robbery.
Trump Administration Lawyer Pummeled by Sotomayor and Gorsuch in Cellphone Tracking Case
"Most Americans, I think, still want to avoid Big Brother."
Will This Awful Bill Allowing Warrantless Domestic Snooping Get Shoved Into an End-of-Year Spending Plan?
Congress might quietly expand the feds' surveillance powers without any actual debate.
Today at SCOTUS: Warrantless Cell Phone Tracking vs. the Fourth Amendment
What's at issue today in Carpenter v. United States.
Your Secrets Are Not Safe With Anyone
A cellphone tracking case gives SCOTUS a chance to reconsider a doctrine that threatens everyone's privacy.
State Courts Say Early-Morning Pot Raids Were Gratuitous and Illegal
Judges in Florida and Michigan exclude evidence collected by overeager drug warriors.
The Good, the Bad, and the Unspeakably Ugly: A Reason Surveillance Reform Bill Primer
Congress must make a choice before the end of the year on the level of protections Americans get from unwarranted snooping.
Pennsylvania Couple Sues Drug Warriors Who Thought Hibiscus Was Marijuana
Oblivious to the big, bright flowers, the cops who raided Edward and Audrey Cramer's home insisted they were growing pot.
$3 Million Settlement Awarded to Students Subjected to Illegal, Invasive Mass Pat Down at Georgia High School
The Sheriff who ordered the search is being charged with sexual battery.
The Senate Intelligence Committee Really Wants to Secretly Snoop on Americans
Every attempt to restrain and reform unwarranted domestic surveillance batted away.
Showdown Looming over Reform of Federal Surveillance Laws
House leadership rejects stronger protections shielding Americans from unwarranted snooping.
He Said He Wanted a 'Lawyer[,] Dog'; The Court Ruled That Was Too Vague
The Louisiana Supreme Court denied an appeal by a defendant claiming police ignored his request for a lawyer.
Man Busted for Meth That Was Actually Donut Glaze Gets $37,500 for His Trouble
The Krispy Kreme Caper illustrates the limits of drug field tests and the cops who perform them.
Judge Won't Let Feds Have Full Access to Names of People on Anti-Trump Site
The web host can redact user info unless the Justice Department provides evidence of criminal activity.
Supreme Court Considers: Can Cops Arrest You for Going to a Party Where You Don't Know the Host?
The case has already produced some fun SCOTUS banter. It could have major consequences for due process and police accountability.
Bogus Stoned Driving Arrests Highlight Dubious Methods of 'Drug Recognition Experts'
A lawsuit by three sober drivers who were busted for DUI questions the pot-detecting abilities of DREs.
Police Union Complains That Public Got to See Them Roughing Up Utah Nurse
Transparency about behavior of government employees is not a violation of due process.
'We Own This Property…It's Ours Until We Are Done'
Cops raid the wrong house...again.
What Does Child Porn Smell Like? DHS Is Training Dogs To Sniff it Out
Meet Charlie, a two-year-old dog with "game-changing abilities," according to law-enforcement types.
Congress to Trump: Reform Surveillance Authorities or Lose Them
FBI, Intel want broad snooping powers to stay intact. That may not be an option.
After 5 Years, Ferguson Drops Bogus Charges That Cost Navy Veteran His Job
Fred Watson, who was mentioned in a DOJ report on abuses by Ferguson police, says he was arrested and prosecuted for no good reason.
Lawyer: Warrantless Blood Draw Stopped by Utah Nurse Was Legal in Another Reality
The facts and the law are on Alex Wubbels' side.
Utah Nurse's Abuse by Police Detective Goes Viral; Does the Outrage Actually Mean Anything?
Even other law enforcement agencies are throwing shade.
In Warrantless Cellphone Search Case, It's the Trump Administration vs. the 4th Amendment
The Supreme Court will arguments in Carpenter v. U.S. in the coming term.
Every Cop Involved in the Arrest of This Utah Nurse for Refusing to (Illegally) Draw a Patient's Blood Needs to Be Fired (UPDATED)
The Supreme Court decision forbidding unwarranted blood collection is a year old.
Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Most of Texas Anti-Sanctuary City Law
State cannot force local police to serve as immigration agents and detain people for the feds.
Joe Arpaio May Have Been Pardoned, But He's Still a Whiny Baby
His and President Trump's complaints that he was treated unfairly by the courts are nonsense.
Trump, Sheriff Joe, and the Thrill of Arbitrary Power
The president admires strong men who break the law to enforce it.
Border Patrol Sets Up Immigration Checkpoint in New Hampshire; Nearly Twice as Many Drug Arrests Result
The Fourth Amendment-destroying powers of the Border Patrol continue to harass Americans.
Roadside Crotch Search Was Unconstitutional, Indiana Appeals Court Rules
The court says a marijuana odor did not justify reaching into a woman's underwear during a routine traffic stop.
DOJ Retreats From Speech-Chilling Demand for Information About Trump's Opponents
Federal prosecutors say they did not realize how broad their warrant was.
Why SCOTUS Should Tell the Government to 'Get a Warrant' in Cellphone Location Data Case
The third-party doctrine is at odds with the Fourth Amendment.
The Justice Department Wants to Know if You've Visited an Anti-Trump Resistance Site
A fishing expedition to try to track down anybody who disrupted Inauguration Day events in D.C.
Federal Appeals Court Castigates Kansas Cops for Pot Raid Triggered by Tea
One judge notes that police raided a family's home "based on nothing more than junk science, an incompetent investigation, and a publicity stunt."
Marijuana Legalization Is Another Reason Dogs Should Not Issue Search Warrants
A Colorado appeals court concludes that a canine sniff-over is a search and by itself cannot supply probable cause.
Janice Rogers Brown, America's Most Libertarian Federal Judge, Is Retiring
The possible replacements include Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett.
New York Lawmakers Back Unwarranted Phone Searches of Drivers
On the pretext of texting safety, they want to give cops free rein to suspend licenses and fine drivers without charges or conviction.
Freedom Caucus Conservatives Break from Trump, Want More Surveillance Reform
Some legislators want more privacy protections from unwarranted snooping of U.S. citizens.
Rand Paul on Blocking Indefinite Detention and Saudi Arms Sales
The Kentucky senator laments that "there's very little of this attorney general, this Department of Justice, doing anything favorable towards criminal justice or towards civil liberties"
SCOTUS Agrees to Hear Significant 4th Amendment Case on Warrantless Cell Phone Location Searches
The Supreme Court will hear arguments in Carpenter v. U.S. next term.
