The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting the California Supreme Court OKs searches of cell phones without a warrant . The court ruled defendants lose their privacy rights for any items they are carrying. The court relied on search of cigarette packages. By extension, computers are fair game.
Monday’s decision allows police “to rummage at leisure through the wealth of personal and business information that can be carried on a mobile phone or handheld computer merely because the device was taken from an arrestee’s person,” said Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar, joined in dissent by Justice Carlos Moreno.
How ironic this ruling would come from the liberal bastion of San Francisco! Ohio courts ruled the opposite. SCOTUS here we come!