Cell Phone Searches (H 7110, S 3074)

As cell phone technology has advanced and smartphones have become ubiquitous, the devices we carry on a daily basis have begun to contain substantial amounts of personal information, including e-mails, photos, and records of where we’ve been traveling.  Yet, until now, Rhode Island law held no requirement that law enforcement obtain a judge’s approval before searching the contents of a cell phone.  ACLU-drafted legislation now requires a warrant to be obtained by law enforcement before any search of a cell phone is conducted. We encouraged the Governor to sign the bill into law; the governor, however, vetoed the legislation unexpectedly.