Riley v. California — Police Cannot Search a Cell Phone Incident to Arrest Without a Warrant

Updated:

After a traffic stop and arrest, police searched Riley’s smartphone without a warrant and surfaced gang ties and prior-shooting evidence. The Supreme Court reversed unanimously: the search-incident-to-arrest exception does not extend to cell phones because of the volume and breadth of personal data they hold.

U.S. Supreme Court

June 25, 2014

Need forensic support on a matter like these? Schedule an evaluation.

Landmark Ruling

573 U.S. 373 (2014) · 9–0 Unanimous · Chief Justice Roberts

Reference: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/573/373/