Search and Seizure
Federal Appeals Court Nixes Blanket Drug Screening of State College Students
The decision is a welcome departure from a tendency to sacrifice privacy on the altar of a drug-free society.
What Critics of the FBI's Clinton Investigation Get Right
The examination of Huma Abedin's emails was legally justified, but it could have been faster and quieter.
Iowa Will Pay Poker Players Robbed by Forfeiture-Hungry State Cops
The state is also disbanding the interdiction team responsible for the traffic stop.
Utah Cop Arrests Shaken but Sober Car Crash Victim for DUI
The officer thought Amanda Houghton's unsteadiness was suspicious enough to justify handcuffs and a chest pat-down.
Appeals Court Says Colorado Plates Don't Justify Detaining Drivers in Kansas
Reasonable suspicion of marijuana smuggling requires more than living in a state that allows medical or recreational use.
Unreasonable Searches Are Unconstitutional—and Common
Justice Dept. report on Baltimore Police shows little respect for the Fourth Amendment.
Cops Who Stop Drivers to Give Them Stuff Are Abusing Their Power
Keep your ice cream, and I'll keep my freedom.
Color-Conscious Drug Warriors Breed Mistrust
Two recent studies confirm anecdotal evidence of racial disparities in police treatment of drivers and pedestrians.
The Drug War and the Crime of Driving (or Walking) While Black
Two recent studies show how color-conscious cops breed anger, resentment, and mistrust.
Woman Kidnapped and Sexually Assaulted by Drug Warriors Gets $1.6 Million
After a dog supposedly alerted to her at a border crossing, she endured six hours of fruitless body cavity searches.
Black Dignity Matters
Research shows that police do subject African Americans to much greater unwarranted scrutiny and harsher treatment
Biased Policing and Black Dignity: New at Reason
New studies show that increasing police stops and searches of black male drivers is completely unjustified
The ACLU Counts the Ways Trump Would Violate Civil Liberties
On immigration, surveillance, torture, and press freedom, Trump's ideas are not just bad-they're unconstitutional.
Despite Medical Marijuana, Pot Smell Justifies Searches in Arizona
The state's top court rules that the odor of plants or burnt bud provides probable cause "in most circumstances."
'Tens of Thousands' Wrongly Convicted Based on Unreliable Drug Tests
A crumb on the floor of your car can make you a felon, even if it's just a crumb.
Teenager Charged With Attempted Murder Says Drug Cops Seemed Like Armed Thugs
Austin police take stupid risks and blame the victim.
Michigan High School Student Sues Over Warrantless Breathalyzer Test
The student is challenging a local ordinance and a state law for being in violation of the Fourth Amendment.
Oklahoma Police Can Pull You Over and Digitally Seize Money Right Off the Pre-Paid Cards in Your Wallet
Another tool used to fight international trafficking comes home to local police.
Canadian Businesswoman Says Three Male CBP Officers Sexually Assaulted Her
They searched her body cavities for drugs, which they did not find.
Lawsuit Says Detroit Cops Shot Confined Dog Through Bathroom Door
Owners say the officers, who were serving a drug warrant, also killed two other dogs who posed no threat.
Arkansas Trooper Steals $20,000, Because Nobody Innocent Carries That Much Cash
Prosecutors tried to drop the forfeiture case, but the judge would not let them.
No Charges Against Cop Who Got Into a Deadly Struggle After a Door Hit His Foot
Determined to arrest John Livingston for assaulting his pride, Deputy Nicholas Kehagias ended up shooting him dead.
Another Sexual Assault in Service of the Drug War
A lawsuit by a Pennsylvania woman describes a humiliating five-hour ordeal that discovered nothing.
SCOTUS Declines Opportunity to Limit Random Border Patrol Stops
The Court's decision leaves motorists vulnerable to the whims of armed government agents who can stop them at will.
D.C. Police Raided Hundreds of Homes Based on Little to No Evidence
In 284 cases over two years, officers used "training and experience" as justification for obtaining search warrants.
President Obama Wants a Back Door on Your Phone. But Not on His.
Secure communications for me, but not for thee.
Top Kansas Court Overturns Criminal Penalties for Drivers Who Refuse Alcohol Testing
The 6-to-1 ruling says it's unconstitutional to punish people for withdrawing "implied consent."
How Scalia's Absence Could Protect the Exclusionary Rule
SCOTUS seems evenly divided on a drug search arising from an illegal stop.
Scalia on Drugs
Cases involving drug prohibition reveal the late justice's fickle fidelity to the Fourth Amendment and federalism.
Scalia's Mixed Drug War Record
Drug cases show the late justice's fickle fidelity to the Fourth Amendment and federalism.
Scalia's Liberal Tendencies
The late Supreme Court justice was inaccurately described as "authoritarian."
Cop Who Arrested Sandra Bland Is Indicted for Perjury
The grand jury did not buy Brian Encinia's justification for escalating the traffic stop.
Kansas Couple Whose Tea Was Mistaken for Marijuana Loses Suit Over Fruitless Raid
Robert and Adlynn Harte argued that cops should have known field tests are unreliable.
Want My Blood? Get a Warrant.
Drivers should not be punished for balking at warrantless alcohol testing.
Police Should Need a Warrant to Pull Evidence From Your Body
Three DUI cases give SCOTUS a chance to clarify the constitutional requirements for drug and alcohol testing.
Iowa Supreme Court Makes Legalized Theft Harder by Rejecting an 'Unreasonably Extended' Traffic Stop
The common practice of pretextual stops aimed at finding seizable money takes a hit.
Jury Acquits the Only Cop Who Faced Charges After a Drug Raid Maimed a Toddler
Nikki Autry claimed she lied on a search warrant affidavit by mistake.
ACLU Describes a 'Stop and Frisk' Policy for Americans Near the Border
Complaints detail the Border Patrol's routine constitutional abuses.
Border Patrol Complaints Highlight the Magical Legal Powers of Dogs
To stop you, agents need no special reason; to search your car, all they need is a dog.
Michigan Cops Plan to Pull Teenagers Over for Obeying the Law
A Macomb County program aimed at "rewarding" good drivers casually violates their constitutional rights.
What It Takes for a Judge to Reject a Dog-Authorized Cash Seizure
There are still some limits on cops' license to steal, provided courts are willing to enforce them.
The Ridiculous Warrant Application Behind a Fruitless Marijuana Raid
A Texas cop was sure those hippies were growing pot on their farm.
Texas Cops Sexually Assault Another Motorist in the Name of Pot Prohibition
The warrantless roadside cavity probe happened two days after the governor signed a bill banning such searches.
Sandra Bland's Arrest and the Expectation of Meek Subservience
Trooper Brian Encinia's actions may have been legal, but that does not make them right.
