Story Archive

Who Needs the Fourth Amendment?

Reports said that a party at a Hoboken, N.J., bar got so out of hand that women were sexually assaulted, private property was destroyed, and alcohol was stolen. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey investigated, and now a lawsuit says the investigation included “widespread, ongoing and unconstitutional searches” of 20-40 individuals’ phones. The lawsuit claims the individuals, who worked for the Port Authority, were told they could lose their jobs if they didn’t submit to the searches; nine people did lose their jobs as a result of the investigation. The individuals whose phones were searched were officers in the Port Authority Police, the party was a graduation party attended by rookie PA cops, and the lawsuit was filed by the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association. A union lawyer said his members had a constitutional right to privacy “in the contents of their personal cellphones just like the rest of us.” (AC/AP) ...Are these the same people who were hired to search people’s bags before they get on the Port Authority’s trains?