Sixth Circuit Rules Against School’s Search of Student’s Cell Phone

G.C. v. Owensboro Public Schools
By Michelle Sohn– Edited by Sarah Jeong

In a 2-1 decision, the Sixth Circuit reversed the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The lower court had granted summary judgment for Owensboro, holding that the school’s search of a student’s cell phone did not violate the Fourth Amendment.

The Sixth Circuit held that the school’s search of G.C.’s cell phone was an unreasonable search and seizure.

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By Craig Fratrik

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Florida v. Jardines
By Mary Grinman – Edited by Geng Chen

In a 5–4 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed the Supreme Court of Florida, which had held that the use of a trained narcotics dog to inspect the area immediately surrounding Joelis Jardines’s home, including his porch, constituted a Fourth Amendment “search.”

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By Samantha Rothberg

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