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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Flash Digest: News in Brief

By Michelle Sohn

Northern District of California Court Strikes Down National Security Letter Statute

Social Media Added Fuel to the Fire in Stuebenville Rape Case

Presidential Commission Concludes Anthrax Vaccine Testing on Children Unethical without Further Research

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Drone Strikes and Due Process: The Role of the Separation of Powers in Lethal Action Against U.S. Citizens Outside Traditional Battlefields

Written By: Michelle Sohn
Edited By: Laura Fishwick & Gillian Kassner

Advances in military technology such as drones have greatly enhanced the government’s ability to conduct lethal operations anywhere in the world without ever having to put a single American soldier on the ground. Paradoxically, it is exactly these new advances in military technology that have dredged up a longstanding, yet important conflict between balancing national security with constitutional protections of due process.

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FilmOn Sues Aereo for False Designation of Origin and False Endorsement under the Lanham Act

FilmOn v. Aereo
By Alex Shank – Edited by Michelle Sohn

Online TV site FilmOn.com, Inc. (“FilmOn”) filed a complaint against competitor Aereo, Inc. (“Aereo”) on counts of false designation of origin and false endorsement under the Lanham Act on February 7, 2013 in the United States District Court of the Central District of California. FilmOn also seeks declaratory judgment that it does not violate the Act and that any trademark right in the name “Aereo” claimed by Aereo is invalid.

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By Michelle Sohn Posthumously Conceived Twins from Michigan Seek Deceased Father’s Social Security Benefits On Thursday, the Michigan Supreme Court heard oral arguments on whether posthumously conceived twins are entitled to their father’s Social Security benefits, reports ABC News. The twins—aged 10—were conceived through in vitro fertilization, using sperm stored while their father, Jeffrey Mattison, underwent chemotherapy.  Months before Mr. Mattison’s death, the twins’ mother, Pamela Mattison, had been preparing for the in vitro treatment according to her attorneys. Mrs. ... Read More...