• Can Police Search a Car If The Arrested Person Was Already Outside the Vehicle When Police Arrived?
    Jan 29 2025

    Before Officer Nichols could pull over petitioner, petitioner parked and got out of his car. Nichols then parked, accosted petitioner, and arrested him after finding drugs in his pocket. Incident to the arrest, Nichols searched petitioner’s car and found a handgun under the driver’s seat. Petitioner was charged with federal drug and firearms violations. In denying his motion to suppress the firearm as the fruit of an unconstitutional search, the District Court found, inter alia, the automobile search valid under New York v. Belton, 453 U. S. 454, in which this Court held that, when a police officer makes a lawful custodial arrest of an automobile’s occupant, the Fourth Amendment allows the officer to search the vehicle’s passenger compartment as a contemporaneous incident of arrest, id., at 460. Petitioner appealed his conviction, arguing that Belton was limited to situations where the officer initiated contact with an arrestee while he was still in the car. The Fourth Circuit affirmed.

    Held: Belton governs even when an officer does not make contact until the person arrested has left the vehicle. In Belton, the Court placed no reliance on the fact that the officer ordered the occupants out of the vehicle, or initiated contact with them while they remained within it. And here, there is simply no basis to conclude that the span of the area generally within the arrestee’s immediate control is determined by whether the arrestee exited the vehicle at the officer’s direction, or whether the officer initiated contact with him while he was in the car. In all relevant aspects, the arrest of a suspect who is next to a vehicle presents identical concerns regarding officer safety and evidence destruction as one who is inside. Under petitioner’s proposed “contact initiation” rule, officers who decide that it may be safer and more effective to conceal their presence until a suspect has left his car would be unable to search the passenger compartment in the event of a custodial arrest, potentially compromising their safety and placing incriminating evidence at risk of concealment or destruction. The Fourth Amendment does not require such a gamble. Belton allows police to search a car’s passenger compartment incident to a lawful arrest of both “occupants” and “recent occupants.” Ibid. While an arrestee’s status as a “recent occupant” may turn on his temporal or spatial relationship to the car at the time of the arrest and search, it certain

    Anton Vialtsin, Esq.
    LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM | Criminal Defense and Business Law
    https://lawstache.com
    (619) 357-6677

    Do you want to buy our Lawstache merchandise? Maybe a t-shirt?
    https://lawstache.com/merch/

    Want to mail me something (usually mustache related)? Send it to 185 West F Street, Suite 100-D, San Diego, CA 92101

    Want to learn about our recent victories?
    https://lawstache.com/results-notable-cases/

    If you'd like to support this channel, please consider purchasing some of the following products. We get a little kickback, and it does NOT cost you anything extra:

    *Calvin Klein Men's Dress Shirt Slim Fit Non-iron, https://amzn.to/3zm6mkf
    *Calvin Klein Men's Slim Fit Dress Pant, https://amzn.to/3G8jLQG
    *Johnson and Murphy Shoes, https://amzn.to/3KmfX0Y
    *Harley-Davidson Men's Eagle Piston Long Sleeve Crew Shirt, https://amzn.to/43gFtMC
    *Amazon Basics Tank Style Highlighters, https://amzn.to/3zwOEKZ
    *Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pens, https://amzn.to/40EjSfm
    *Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer, https://amzn.to/3Km2aGC
    *ClearSpace Plastic Storage Bins, https://amzn.to/3Kzle5q

    Are you are a Russian speaker? Вы говорите по-русски?
    https://russiansandiegoattorney.com

    Based in San Diego, CA
    Licensed: California, Nevada, and Federal Courts

    The San Diego-based business litigation and criminal defense attorneys at LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM are e...

    Show more Show less
    10 mins
  • How a Massive Government Negligence Got This Case Dismissed. 8 Years on the Run?
    Jan 22 2025

    Doggett v. United States, 505 U.S. 647 (1992), is a Supreme Court case addressing the right to a speedy trial under the Sixth Amendment.

    Facts:

    Marc Doggett was indicted in 1980 for drug-related charges. Shortly after the indictment, he left the United States. While authorities knew he was in Colombia and later Panama, they failed to apprehend him due to logistical issues. In 1982, Doggett returned to the U.S. unnoticed and lived openly for the next six years. He was arrested in 1988, but during this time, he had no knowledge of the indictment.

    Issue:

    Does an 8½-year delay between the indictment and arrest, largely due to government negligence, violate the defendant's Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial?

    Holding:

    Yes, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Doggett, holding that the delay violated his right to a speedy trial.

    Reasoning:

    The Court applied the Barker v. Wingo (1972) balancing test, which considers:

    1. Length of delay: The 8½-year delay was presumptively prejudicial.
    2. Reason for delay: The government was negligent in pursuing Doggett, as they could have located him with reasonable effort.
    3. Defendant’s assertion of the right: Doggett could not assert his right earlier because he was unaware of the indictment.
    4. Prejudice to the defendant: The Court presumed prejudice due to the excessive delay caused by government negligence, even without specific proof of harm to Doggett's defense.

    Outcome:

    The Court reversed Doggett’s conviction, emphasizing that a lengthy, negligent delay by the government undermines the defendant’s Sixth Amendment right, even if the defendant cannot show concrete prejudice.

    This case underscores the importance of timely prosecution and holds the government accountable for unnecessary delays in pursuing charges.

    Anton Vialtsin, Esq.
    LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM | Criminal Defense and Business Law
    https://lawstache.com
    (619) 357-6677

    Do you want to buy our Lawstache merchandise? Maybe a t-shirt?
    https://lawstache.com/merch/

    Want to mail me something (usually mustache related)? Send it to 185 West F Street, Suite 100-D, San Diego, CA 92101

    Want to learn about our recent victories?
    https://lawstache.com/results-notable-cases/

    If you'd like to support this channel, please consider purchasing some of the following products. We get a little kickback, and it does NOT cost you anything extra:

    *Calvin Klein Men's Dress Shirt Slim Fit Non-iron, https://amzn.to/3zm6mkf
    *Calvin Klein Men's Slim Fit Dress Pant, https://amzn.to/3G8jLQG
    *Johnson and Murphy Shoes, https://amzn.to/3KmfX0Y
    *Harley-Davidson Men's Eagle Piston Long Sleeve Crew Shirt, https://amzn.to/43gFtMC
    *Amazon Basics Tank Style Highlighters, https://amzn.to/3zwOEKZ
    *Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pens, https://amzn.to/40EjSfm
    *Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer, https://amzn.to/3Km2aGC
    *ClearSpace Plastic Storage Bins, https://amzn.to/3Kzle5q

    Are you are a Russian speaker? Вы говорите по-русски?
    https://russiansandiegoattorney.com

    Based in San Diego, CA
    Licensed: California, Nevada, and Federal Courts

    The San Diego-based business litigation and criminal defense attorneys at LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM are e...

    Show more Show less
    12 mins
  • Police Peer Through a Gap in Closed Blinds — Do Social Guests Have 4th Amendment Protection?
    Jan 15 2025

    A police officer looked in an apartment window through a gap in the closed blind and observed respondents Carter and Johns and the apartment's lessee bagging cocaine. After respondents were arrested, they moved to suppress, inter alia, cocaine and other evidence obtained from the apartment and their car, arguing that the officer's initial observation was an unreasonable search in violation of the Fourth Amendment. Respondents were convicted of state drug offenses. The Minnesota trial court held that since they were not overnight social guests, they were not entitled to Fourth Amendment protection, and that the officer's observation was not a search under the Amendment. The State Court of Appeals held that Carter did not have “standing” to object to the officer's actions because the evidence indicated that he used the apartment for a business purpose—to package drugs—and, separately, affirmed Johns' conviction without addressing the “standing” issue. In reversing, the State Supreme Court held that respondents had “standing” to claim Fourth Amendment protection because they had a legitimate expectation of privacy in the invaded place, and that the officer's observation constituted an unreasonable search.

    Held: Any search that may have occurred did not violate respondents' Fourth Amendment rights. The state courts' analysis of respondents' expectation of privacy under the rubric of “standing” doctrine was expressly rejected in Rakas v. Illinois, 439 U.S. 128, 140, 99 S.Ct. 421, 58 L.Ed.2d 387. Rather, to claim Fourth Amendment protection, a defendant must demonstrate that he personally has an expectation of privacy in the place searched, and that his expectation is reasonable. Id., at 143–144, n. 12, 99 S.Ct. 421. The Fourth Amendment protects persons against unreasonable searches of “their persons [and] houses,” and thus indicates that it is a personal right that must be invoked by an individual. But the extent to which the Amendment protects people may depend upon where those people are. While an overnight guest may have a legitimate expectation of privacy in someone else's home, see Minnesota v. Olson, 495 U.S. 91, 98–99, 110 S.Ct. 1684, 109 L.Ed.2d 85, one **471 who is merely present with the consent of the householder may not, see Jones v. United States, 362 U.S. 257, 259, 80 S.Ct. 725, 4 L.Ed.2d 697. And an expectation *84 of privacy in commercial property is different from, and less than, a similar expectation in a home.

    Anton Vialtsin, Esq.
    LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM | Criminal Defense and Business Law
    https://lawstache.com
    (619) 357-6677

    Do you want to buy our Lawstache merchandise? Maybe a t-shirt?
    https://lawstache.com/merch/

    Want to mail me something (usually mustache related)? Send it to 185 West F Street, Suite 100-D, San Diego, CA 92101

    Want to learn about our recent victories?
    https://lawstache.com/results-notable-cases/

    If you'd like to support this channel, please consider purchasing some of the following products. We get a little kickback, and it does NOT cost you anything extra:

    *Calvin Klein Men's Dress Shirt Slim Fit Non-iron, https://amzn.to/3zm6mkf
    *Calvin Klein Men's Slim Fit Dress Pant, https://amzn.to/3G8jLQG
    *Johnson and Murphy Shoes, https://amzn.to/3KmfX0Y
    *Harley-Davidson Men's Eagle Piston Long Sleeve Crew Shirt, https://amzn.to/43gFtMC
    *Amazon Basics Tank Style Highlighters, https://amzn.to/3zwOEKZ
    *Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pens, https://amzn.to/40EjSfm
    *Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer, https://amzn.to/3Km2aGC
    *ClearSpace Plastic Storage Bins, https://amzn.to/3Kzle5q

    Are you are a Russian speaker? Вы говорите по-русски?
    https://russiansandiegoattorney.com

    Based in San Diego, CA
    Licensed: California, Nevada, and Federal Courts

    The San Diego-based business litigation and criminal defense attorneys at LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM are e...

    Show more Show less
    11 mins
  • Man who racked up a pile of parking tickets argued that there was NO NOTICE to tow his car! 14th Amd
    Jan 8 2025

    Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clause/Vehicular Tows

    The panel affirmed the district court’s grant of summary judgment for the City of Portland in an action brought by Andrew Grimm alleging that the City’s procedures for notifying him that his car would be towed were deficient under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause. Grimm parked a car on the side of a downtown street, paid for an hour and 19 minutes of parking through a mobile app, and then left the car on the street for seven days. During that time, City parking enforcement officers issued multiple parking citations, which they placed on the car’s windshield. After the car sat on the street for five days, a parking enforcement officer added a red slip warning that the car would be towed.

    Grimm did not move the car, and, two days after the warning slip was placed on the windshield, the car was towed.

    The panel held that the City conformed with the requirements of the Fourteenth Amendment by providing notice reasonably calculated to alert Grimm of the impending tow. The warning slip placed on the car’s windshield five days after Grimm had parked the car and two days before the car was towed, which explicitly stated that the car would be towed if it were not moved, was reasonably calculated to inform Grimm of the impending tow.

    The panel further held that Grimm’s failure to remove the citations and warning slip from the windshield did not provide the City with actual knowledge that its attempt to provide notice had failed.

    Read the full case here: Grimm v. City of Portland, No. 23-35235, 2025 WL 22134 (9th Cir. Jan. 3, 2025), https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2025/01/03/23-35235.pdf

    Anton Vialtsin, Esq.
    LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM | Criminal Defense and Business Law
    https://lawstache.com
    (619) 357-6677

    Do you want to buy our Lawstache merchandise? Maybe a t-shirt?
    https://lawstache.com/merch/

    Want to mail me something (usually mustache related)? Send it to 185 West F Street, Suite 100-D, San Diego, CA 92101

    Want to learn about our recent victories?
    https://lawstache.com/results-notable-cases/

    If you'd like to support this channel, please consider purchasing some of the following products. We get a little kickback, and it does NOT cost you anything extra:

    *Calvin Klein Men's Dress Shirt Slim Fit Non-iron, https://amzn.to/3zm6mkf
    *Calvin Klein Men's Slim Fit Dress Pant, https://amzn.to/3G8jLQG
    *Johnson and Murphy Shoes, https://amzn.to/3KmfX0Y
    *Harley-Davidson Men's Eagle Piston Long Sleeve Crew Shirt, https://amzn.to/43gFtMC
    *Amazon Basics Tank Style Highlighters, https://amzn.to/3zwOEKZ
    *Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pens, https://amzn.to/40EjSfm
    *Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer, https://amzn.to/3Km2aGC
    *ClearSpace Plastic Storage Bins, https://amzn.to/3Kzle5q

    Are you are a Russian speaker? Вы говорите по-русски?
    https://russiansandiegoattorney.com

    Based in San Diego, CA
    Licensed: California, Nevada, and Federal Courts

    The San Diego-based business litigation and criminal defense attorneys at LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM are e...

    Show more Show less
    12 mins
  • Top 3 of 2024: Police enter home without a warrant to arrest a felon, ruse checkpoint, & containers
    Jan 1 2025

    Thank you all for an incredible year! I experienced the biggest surge in viewership, and it’s all because of your amazing support in sharing my videos. A special thank you to everyone who purchased my Do Not Arrest This Person t-shirts—you’ve made this journey even more rewarding! ~ Anton V. aka LAWSTACHE

    1. NOT a crime for citizen to refuse entry to her home to police who do not have an appropriate warrant

    https://youtu.be/IazZorTNtA8

    Read the full case here: United States v. Prescott, 581 F.2d 1343 (9th Cir. 1978), https://casetext.com/case/united-states-v-prescott-5

    2. Police set up RUSE drug CHECKPOINTS on highway, motorists pulled over if take the next exit.

    https://youtu.be/TBLW21FAknI

    Read full case here: United States v. Neff, 681 F.3d 1134 (10th Cir. 2012), https://casetext.com/case/united-states-v-neff-9?

    3. Can Police Assume a Container Has a Gun And Open It Without a Warrant Under Single-Purpose Exception

    https://youtu.be/PzN4qET0XLw

    Full case here: US v. Gust, 405 F. 3d 797 - Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit 2005, https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=13976317218493731054&hl=en&as_sdt=6&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr#p807

    Anton Vialtsin, Esq.
    LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM | Criminal Defense and Business Law
    https://lawstache.com
    (619) 357-6677

    Do you want to buy our Lawstache merchandise? Maybe a t-shirt?
    https://lawstache.com/merch/

    Want to mail me something (usually mustache related)? Send it to 185 West F Street, Suite 100-D, San Diego, CA 92101

    Want to learn about our recent victories?
    https://lawstache.com/results-notable-cases/

    If you'd like to support this channel, please consider purchasing some of the following products. We get a little kickback, and it does NOT cost you anything extra:

    *Calvin Klein Men's Dress Shirt Slim Fit Non-iron, https://amzn.to/3zm6mkf
    *Calvin Klein Men's Slim Fit Dress Pant, https://amzn.to/3G8jLQG
    *Johnson and Murphy Shoes, https://amzn.to/3KmfX0Y
    *Harley-Davidson Men's Eagle Piston Long Sleeve Crew Shirt, https://amzn.to/43gFtMC
    *Amazon Basics Tank Style Highlighters, https://amzn.to/3zwOEKZ
    *Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pens, https://amzn.to/40EjSfm
    *Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer, https://amzn.to/3Km2aGC
    *ClearSpace Plastic Storage Bins, https://amzn.to/3Kzle5q

    Are you are a Russian speaker? Вы говорите по-русски?
    https://russiansandiegoattorney.com

    Based in San Diego, CA
    Licensed: California, Nevada, and Federal Courts

    The San Diego-based business litigation and criminal defense attorneys at LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM are e...

    Show more Show less
    13 mins
  • Smoking marijuana two hours prior and bloodshot eyes alone aren't enough for a DUI arrest.
    Dec 25 2024

    Ultimately, the Court is presented with two facts: (1) Mr. Russell consumed marijuana at least two hours before the stop; and (2) Mr. Russell may have had bloodshot, watery eyes and/or droopy eyelids. These facts put this matter on all fours with Patzer, where the driver was observed only to have “bloodshot and glassy eyes” and admitted to smoking marijuana. 277 F.3d at 1082. Under the Idaho law at issue in that case, the government was required to show that the defendant was under the influence “to a degree which impairs the driver's ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.” Id. at 1084 (quoting Idaho Code § 18-8004(5)). The Ninth Circuit concluded that the defendant's “driving and comportment did not evidence any impairment.” Id. Here, too, the Court concludes that Mr. Russell's driving and comportment do not evidence any impairment such that his ability to drive was “lessened to an appreciable degree.” WPIC 92.10. Notably, the Government has never addressed the relevance of Patzer, either in its briefing or in oral argument at the evidentiary hearing. While the officers were justified in investigating the possibility of marijuana DUI, they should have investigated further (e.g., conducted sobriety tests) or released Mr. Russell instead of arresting him when they did. Therefore, the arrest was unlawful, and all evidence obtained as a result must be suppressed.

    Finally, because the Court finds that the officers did not have probable cause to arrest Mr. Russell and suppresses evidence on this basis, it need not reach Mr. Russell's additional arguments regarding the search warrants and his request for a Franks hearing.

    There is, of course, an elephant in the room (or vehicle): a gun-stolen, loaded with ammunition, and apparently fully functional (see Dkt. No. 45 at 9)-was recovered as a result of the traffic stop. And today's ruling excludes from trial this crucial evidence against Mr. Russell. But “while it is true that applying the exclusionary rule in this case will mean that a guilty defendant goes free, that is true of applying the exclusionary rule in essentially every case,” and “[n]othing about this case calls for a remedy other than ‘[t]he typical remedy for a Fourth Amendment violation,' which ‘is the exclusion of evidence discovered as a result of that violation from criminal proceedings against the defendant.'” United States v. Ngumezi, 980 F.3d 1285, 1291 (9th Cir. 2020) (quoting United States v. Garci

    Anton Vialtsin, Esq.
    LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM | Criminal Defense and Business Law
    https://lawstache.com
    (619) 357-6677

    Do you want to buy our Lawstache merchandise? Maybe a t-shirt?
    https://lawstache.com/merch/

    Want to mail me something (usually mustache related)? Send it to 185 West F Street, Suite 100-D, San Diego, CA 92101

    Want to learn about our recent victories?
    https://lawstache.com/results-notable-cases/

    If you'd like to support this channel, please consider purchasing some of the following products. We get a little kickback, and it does NOT cost you anything extra:

    *Calvin Klein Men's Dress Shirt Slim Fit Non-iron, https://amzn.to/3zm6mkf
    *Calvin Klein Men's Slim Fit Dress Pant, https://amzn.to/3G8jLQG
    *Johnson and Murphy Shoes, https://amzn.to/3KmfX0Y
    *Harley-Davidson Men's Eagle Piston Long Sleeve Crew Shirt, https://amzn.to/43gFtMC
    *Amazon Basics Tank Style Highlighters, https://amzn.to/3zwOEKZ
    *Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pens, https://amzn.to/40EjSfm
    *Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer, https://amzn.to/3Km2aGC
    *ClearSpace Plastic Storage Bins, https://amzn.to/3Kzle5q

    Are you are a Russian speaker? Вы говорите по-русски?
    https://russiansandiegoattorney.com

    Based in San Diego, CA
    Licensed: California, Nevada, and Federal Courts

    The San Diego-based business litigation and criminal defense attorneys at LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM are e...

    Show more Show less
    15 mins
  • Stopped for Broken Taillight, Restrained & Searched Because of High-Crime Area Late at Night.
    Dec 18 2024

    May officers, as a matter of standard procedure and in the name of "officer safety," detain and frisk a driver stopped for an equipment infraction solely on the basis that the stop occurs in a high crime area at night? Here we conclude that the Fourth Amendment does not permit such an intrusion and that any incriminating evidence flowing from the illegal contact, which may include statements made by the driver, is inadmissible.

    Roman Medina appeals from the trial court's denial of his motion to suppress cocaine found on his person and in his vehicle, as well as statements he made to the police at the time of his detention and search. (Pen. Code, § 1538.5.) After the court denied his motion, Medina pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance. (Health Saf. Code, § 11350, subd. (a).) Entry of judgment was deferred, and Medina was placed on probation. He contends that the cocaine and the statements attributed to him were obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment's prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures. We agree and, accordingly, reverse.

    We reject the People's claim that the search was prompted by Medina's admission. Officer Lopez testified that he set out to conduct a patdown pursuant to his "standard procedure," and his act of securing Medina's hands behind his head was part and parcel of that search. We also agree with Medina that his detention was rendered unlawful when Officer Lopez grabbed his hands, and that the ensuing search was also illegal because the officer failed to offer articulable facts demonstrating a reasonable suspicion that Medina was armed and dangerous. Indeed, the officer admitted there were no such facts. The only reason for restraining Medina's hands and searching him was the time and location of the stop. Apparently, anyone observed to be driving in that area at night with a citable equipment defect would be stopped and subjected to a patdown search. The Fourth Amendment plainly prohibits the police from employing such a procedure.

    Read the full case here: People v. Medina, 110 Cal.App.4th 171 (Cal. Ct. App. 2003), https://casetext.com/case/people-v-medina-299

    Anton Vialtsin, Esq.
    LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM | Criminal Defense and Business Law
    https://lawstache.com
    (619) 357-6677

    Do you want to buy our Lawstache merchandise? Maybe a t-shirt?
    https://lawstache.com/merch/

    Want to mail me something (usually mustache related)? Send it to 185 West F Street, Suite 100-D, San Diego, CA 92101

    Want to learn about our recent victories?
    https://lawstache.com/results-notable-cases/

    If you'd like to support this channel, please consider purchasing some of the following products. We get a little kickback, and it does NOT cost you anything extra:

    *Calvin Klein Men's Dress Shirt Slim Fit Non-iron, https://amzn.to/3zm6mkf
    *Calvin Klein Men's Slim Fit Dress Pant, https://amzn.to/3G8jLQG
    *Johnson and Murphy Shoes, https://amzn.to/3KmfX0Y
    *Harley-Davidson Men's Eagle Piston Long Sleeve Crew Shirt, https://amzn.to/43gFtMC
    *Amazon Basics Tank Style Highlighters, https://amzn.to/3zwOEKZ
    *Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pens, https://amzn.to/40EjSfm
    *Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer, https://amzn.to/3Km2aGC
    *ClearSpace Plastic Storage Bins, https://amzn.to/3Kzle5q

    Are you are a Russian speaker? Вы говорите по-русски?
    https://russiansandiegoattorney.com

    Based in San Diego, CA
    Licensed: California, Nevada, and Federal Courts

    The San Diego-based business litigation and criminal defense attorneys at LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM are e...

    Show more Show less
    8 mins
  • Can police search your HOME to seize your CELL PHONE anytime they suspect you of a crime?
    Dec 11 2024

    Most of us nowadays carry a cell phone. And our phones frequently contain information chronicling our daily lives—where we go, whom we see, what we say to our friends, and the like. When a person is suspected of a crime, his phone thus can serve as a fruitful source of evidence, especially if he committed the offense in concert with others with whom he might communicate about it. Does this mean that, whenever officers have reason to suspect a person of involvement in a crime, they have probable cause to search his home for cell phones because he might own one and it might contain relevant evidence? That, in essence, is the central issue raised by this case.

    Appellant Ezra Griffith was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He moved to suppress the firearm, arguing that police discovered it while executing an invalid warrant to search his home. The district court denied the motion, and a jury convicted Griffith at trial. Griffith now challenges the denial of his motion to suppress.

    The warrant authorized officers to search for and seize all cell phones and other electronic devices in Griffith's residence. The supporting affidavit, however, offered almost no reason to suspect that Griffith in fact owned a cell phone, or that any phone or other device containing incriminating information would be found in his apartment. In our view, the fact that most people now carry a cell phone was not enough to justify an intrusive search of a place lying at the center of the Fourth Amendment's protections—a home—for any phone Griffith might own.

    We therefore agree with Griffith that the warrant to search his residence was unsupported by probable cause. We also reject the government's arguments that, even if the warrant was invalid, the firearm still need not have been excluded from the evidence against him. Consequently, we vacate Griffith's conviction.

    Read the full case here: United States v. Griffith, 867 F.3d 1265, (D.C. Cir. 2017), https://casetext.com/case/united-states-v-griffith-33

    Anton Vialtsin, Esq.
    LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM | Criminal Defense and Business Law
    https://lawstache.com
    (619) 357-6677

    Do you want to buy our Lawstache merchandise? Maybe a t-shirt?
    https://lawstache.com/merch/

    Want to mail me something (usually mustache related)? Send it to 185 West F Street, Suite 100-D, San Diego, CA 92101

    Want to learn about our recent victories?
    https://lawstache.com/results-notable-cases/

    If you'd like to support this channel, please consider purchasing some of the following products. We get a little kickback, and it does NOT cost you anything extra:

    *Calvin Klein Men's Dress Shirt Slim Fit Non-iron, https://amzn.to/3zm6mkf
    *Calvin Klein Men's Slim Fit Dress Pant, https://amzn.to/3G8jLQG
    *Johnson and Murphy Shoes, https://amzn.to/3KmfX0Y
    *Harley-Davidson Men's Eagle Piston Long Sleeve Crew Shirt, https://amzn.to/43gFtMC
    *Amazon Basics Tank Style Highlighters, https://amzn.to/3zwOEKZ
    *Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pens, https://amzn.to/40EjSfm
    *Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer, https://amzn.to/3Km2aGC
    *ClearSpace Plastic Storage Bins, https://amzn.to/3Kzle5q

    Are you are a Russian speaker? Вы говорите по-русски?
    https://russiansandiegoattorney.com

    Based in San Diego, CA
    Licensed: California, Nevada, and Federal Courts

    The San Diego-based business litigation and criminal defense attorneys at LAWSTACHE™ LAW FIRM are e...

    Show more Show less
    19 mins