If evidence had been found in a suitcase or briefcase in the car, would it have been allowed as evidence? Why is it that computers require a special warrant to access their content? Does the content of cell phones, Smart phones, CD's or DVD's lie outside the parameters of a search warrant of a place or vehicle? What if a camera had been found in the car with incriminating pictures stored in it? What about a sketch pad with a map of the crime scene drawn in it?
Is there something sacred about digital information that requires special warrants and why should that be? If investigators can open a dresser drawer to look for evidence during a legal search, why can't they open a file on a hard drive? If they can peruse a diary, why can't they look at the search history on a computer?
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The nation heaved a huge sigh of relief when the jury returned a guilty verdict, even without the incriminating evidence that had been disallowed by the judge. But it could have been different...and terrible.
Undoubtedly the reasonable grounds used to obtain a search warrant for the suspect's vehicle could have been used to get one for the computer as well, but it's understandable why the police didn't think they needed another warrant--at least it's understandable to me. Obviously, the judge in the case thought differently.
The nation now waits for a review of the law and ruling as it ponders if digital privacy is more special than the less-virtual kind.
Eileen Schuh, Author
THE TRAZ
Web site: http://www.eileenschuh.com
Blog: http://eileenschuh.blogspot.com
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