Cell Phone Searches Require Warrant, Rules #SCOTUS

Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the opinion of the court. Roberts wrote that cellphones are powerful tools that are able to store a “digital record of nearly every aspect” of people’s lives. Consequently, they are different from almost anything police find on a person upon arrest. A search of a person’s cellphone is far more invasive to one’s privacy, Roberts said, than a search of the person’s wallet or purse.

“It is no exaggeration to say that many of the more than 90% of American adults who own a cellphone keep on their person a digital record of nearly every aspect of their lives — from the mundane to the intimate,” Roberts wrote.

“A year ago today, the Supreme Court struck down key parts of the Voting Rights Act that protected voting rights in nine states that historically have had discriminatory voting practices. This decision continues to threaten the right to vote for many Americans. Any state can now implement Voter ID laws and redraw district lines to dilute the voices of large populations of communities of color without federal oversight. We must be doing more, not less, to protect the rights of all people and ensure we have equal access to the polls.

“I am a cosponsor of the Voter Empowerment Act that would require each state to allow online voter registration, in addition to providing grants and other incentives to encourage states to better promote voter registration. The bill also prevents tactics like voter caging, and looks at the ways ballots and registrations are verified. I also cosponsored the Voting Rights Amendment Act which would restore parts of Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act while complying with the Supreme Court ruling.”