Can The Police Search Your Cell Phone?

In this age of dominant digital technologies, for most of us our cell phones stand as treasure troves of personal information. But what if the police, armed with authority and curiosity, come knocking at your device’s virtual door, demanding a search? Is that a step they are allowed to take?  Demand to contact the Law Offices of Bartholomew Baffuto if the police do not have a warrant but still demand that you allow them to check through your cell phone.

Can The Police Search Your Cell Phone Without A Warrant?

The Fourth Amendment protects you from unreasonable searches without a valid warrant.  The United States Supreme Court stepped into the digital realm and decided that a warrant is typically a must-have for the police to search through the contents of a cell phone. Why? Well, it’s because the Court acknowledged the enormous privacy stakes.

How Does Consent Play A Role In Warrantless Cell Phone Searches?

The police typically will firmly request consent in situations of warrantless cell phone searches.  The United States Constitution and the New Jersey Constitution protect you in such situations.

Voluntary Consent And Constitutional Rights

Both the United States Constitution and the New Jersey Constitution protect your rights against unreasonable searches and seizures. However, you could waive these rights if you wished, but the police must not pressure or intimidate you into giving consent. You have the authority to give consent, per the law.

Consent And Cell Phone Searches

Your cell phone is a repository of confidential information and data. In New Jersey, if you allow an officer to search your phone, they will not then need a search warrant.

So, before allowing a police officer to search through your phone, consider the repercussions and consult an attorney. If they find evidence of a crime then they could charge you. In such a case, you have to hire a criminal lawyer in New Jersey for legal counsel.

Limitations On Consent Searches

The police must read your rights, before asking to rummage through your phone’s data. If they forget, your consent might be invalidated.

• Knowledge of the right to refuse. The police must inform the person giving consent of their right to refuse. This can be done verbally or in writing. The person must understand that they have the right to say no to the search and that they will not be punished if they do.
• Coercion or duress. Coercion or duress, means that the person giving consent is forced to do so against their will. This can be done through threats, intimidation, or force. For example, the police may threaten to arrest the person if they do not consent to the search. Or, they may intimidate the person by telling them that they are under suspicion of a crime. If the police use any of these tactics to get someone to consent to a search, the consent should be invalid.
• Scope of consent. The scope of consent refers to the extent of the search that the person has agreed to. The police are only allowed to search areas that the person has consented to. For example, if a person consents to the police searching their car, the police cannot search their house without a warrant.

If you have been the target of a search, you should contact a criminal lawyer. A lawyer from the Law Offices of Bartholomew Baffuto can help you determine if your consent was valid and, if not, file a motion to suppress the evidence that was found during the search.