United States v. Wurie

Brief of the National Association of Federal Defenders and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers as Amici Curiae in Support of Respondent.

Brief filed: 04/09/2014

Documents

United States v. Wurie

United States Supreme Court; Case No. 13-212

Prior Decision

Decision below 728 F.3d 1 (1st Cir. 2013).

Question Presented

Whether the Fourth Amendment permits the police, without obtaining a warrant, to review the call log of a cell phone found on a person who has been lawfully arrested.

Argument(s)

The First Circuit correctly held that the search-incident-to-arrest exception does not categorically authorize warrantless cell phone searches, but that the exigent circumstances exception can apply in particular cases. Smith v. Maryland does not support a rule allowing call logs to be searched incident to arrest. Maryland v. King and Florence v. Bd. Of Chosen Freeholders do not support warrantless cell phone searches incident to arrest.

Author(s)

Jeffrey T. Green, Jacqueline G. Cooper, and Jeremy M. Bylund, Sidley Austin LLP, Washington, DC.