Riley v. California
Post-Decision Commentary
On June 25 the Supreme Court unanimously decided Riley v. California, a case involving the authority of police to search the contents of cell phones they take from people they have arrested without a warrant.
In an opinion by Chief Justice Roberts, the Court held that searching digital information on a cell phone ordinarily requires a warrant even if the arrestee is carrying it at the time of arrest. The decision consolidates two cases: Riley v. California and United States v. Wurie.
Orin Kerr (George Washington University Law School) discusses the case.
As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker. We hope this and other publications will help foster discussion and further exchange regarding current issues.