Michigan Supreme Court strikes down warrantless cell phone search

AdividedMichiganSupremeCourtruledThursdaythatlawenforcementauthoritiescannotuseawarranttosearchacriminalsuspect’scellphonewithoutspecifyingwhatitisthey’relookingfor.Thedecisionsetsahigherbarforlawenforcementtoseeksearchwarrantsforcellphones. Thedefendant,MichaelCarson,waschallengingconvictionsforbreakingintoaneighbor’ssafe,larceny,receivingorconcealingstolenproperty,andconspiracy.PartofthecaseagainstCarsonwastextmessagesobtainedasaresultofasearchwarrantonhiscellphone. Onappeal,Carsonarguedthewarranttosearchhiscellphonewastoobroad,violatinghisFourthAmendmentrights,andthathisattorneyshouldhavedoneabetterjobofworkingtosuppressthatevidence. AslimcourtmajorityruledwithCarsonthatthewarrantviolatedhisrightsagainstunreasonablesearchandseizure. “Inourmodernage,whencellphonescarryavirtuallyunlimitedamountofprivateinformation,suchwide-rangingexploratoryrummagingisconstitutionallyintolerableandclearlyviolatestheFourthAmendment