Cases

The United States Supreme Court ruled that the Ontario Police Department’s review of text messages sent and received by a SWAT team officer on his department-issued pager did not violate the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures. This is the first case in more than two decades in which the Court has considered how the Fourth Amendment applies in a government workplace. GMSR lawyers Kent Richland (who argued the case in April 2010) and Kent Bullard represented the Department, the City of Ontario, and the Chief of Police.

SCOTUSblog Coverage:

• A pager as an open book (Lyle Denniston, April 19, 2010)
• Texting and privacy on the job (Lyle Denniston, April 16, 2010)

Case Briefs

• Petition for a Writ of Certiorari - View Document
• Brief of Petitioners - View Document
• Petitioners Reply Brief - View Document
• United States Supreme Court Opinion - View Document