Supreme Court of the United States
David Leon RILEY, Petitioner
v.
CALIFORNIA.
United States, Petitioner
v.
Brima Wurie.
Nos. 13–132, 13–212.
Argued April 29, 2014.
Decided June 25, 2014.
Background: In two cases consolidated for appeal, first defendant was convicted by a jury in the Superior Court, San Diego County, Laura W. Halgren, J., of various crimes related to drive-by shooting, and he appealed based on his challenge to evidence found during police officers' warrantless search of data stored on his cell phone. The California Court of Appeal, 2013 WL 475242,[->0] affirmed. Second defendant was charged with drug- and weapon-related crimes, and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Stearns, J., 612 F.Supp.2d 104,[->1] denied his motion to suppress evidence found during warrantless search of data stored on his cell phone, and defendant appealed. The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, Stahl, Circuit Judge, 728 F.3d 1,[->2] reversed. Certiorari was granted.
Holdings: The Supreme Court, Chief Justice Roberts[->3], held that:
(1) interest in protecting officers' safety did not justify dispensing with warrant requirement for searches of cell phone data, and
(2) interest in preventing destruction of evidence did not justify dispensing with warrant requirement for searches of cell phone data. Judgment of California Court of Appeal reversed and remanded, and judgment of First Circuit affirmed.
Justice Alito concurred in part and concurred in the judgment in separate opinion.
West Headnotes
[1] Searches and Seizures 349 23
349[->4] Searches and Seizures 349I[->5] In General 349k23[->6] k. Fourth Amendment and Reasonableness in General. Most Cited Cases[->7]
Ultimate touchstone of the Fourth Amendment is reasonableness. U.S.C.A. Const.Amend. 4[->8].
