Category Archives: Special needs

WY: Courthouse entry search valid under “special needs”

Defendant entered a courthouse, and the metal detector went off on a small can on him which he opened on request revealing meth. These searches are valid as “special needs.” Russell v. State, 2024 WY 126, 2024 Wyo. LEXIS 128 … Continue reading

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S.D.N.Y.: Search of DOC employee’s papers for drug soaked paper on entering prison was reasonable

Search of a NYC DOC employee’s belongings for drug soaked paper after passing the metal detector at Riker’s Island was reasonable either under special needs or because there is no reasonable expectation of privacy and it’s not even a Fourth … Continue reading

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S.D.N.Y.: Random Covid testing reasonable search under special needs doctrine

Assuming random Covid testing of NYC school children is a Fourth Amendment search, the court applies Vernonia School District 47J and special needs and finds it reasonable. Aviles v. De Blasio, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38930 (S.D. N.Y. Mar. 2, … Continue reading

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D.Ariz.: VA drug tests for medical purposes were valid under the 4A special needs exception

Plaintiff challenged UA drug tests administered by the VA because the doctors there were trying to wean him off opiates. Those tests were reasonable under the special needs exception and for medical purposes. Gorney v. Veterans Administration, 2020 U.S. Dist. … Continue reading

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NJ: Tier III GPS sex offender monitoring valid under special needs exception

GPS monitoring of Tier III sex offenders is a search, and it is shown to be valid under the special needs exception. “As to the governmental interest, the Court notes that the State’s interest in deterring and preventing sexual offenses … Continue reading

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TN: Hair follicle test of parents in juvenile court on less than PC was justified by special needs doctrine

The juvenile court here had justification to order a hair follicle test on defendant for drug use because of the high interest in protecting the children. The search was justified under special needs. That ultimately led to his prosecution. State … Continue reading

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ME: Statute requiring blood draw in fatal accident without PC violates 4A; but GFE applied here

Maine’s statute that requires a blood draw of the driver in a fatal or near fatal accident without probable cause violates the Fourth Amendment. Thus, the 2007 case upholding the statute is overruled. It cannot be categorized under the special … Continue reading

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WA: Was a courthouse security search that turned up drugs properly limited? Remanded for more fact finding

An issue that hasn’t appeared in appellate decisions for a while: May a jacket be searched for drugs at courthouse security? Not here, but more fact finding required. The CSO felt a cell phone to remove it from a pocket, … Continue reading

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MO: Suspicionless bookbag search at school was safety related and reasonable

This juvenile was subjected to a suspicionless bookbag search by school security in a St. Louis public school that found a gun. The court finds the search was reasonable based on the school safety factor alone. In the Interest of … Continue reading

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CA2: More regular home visits of sex offenders to verify information reasonable under “special needs”

Suffolk County contracted with a private non-profit to verify registered sex offenders’ addresses, and that required home visits. Plaintiff sued for violation of the Fourth Amendment. The court holds that their actions were permitted under the “special needs” exception because … Continue reading

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KS: Random suspicionless drug testing of any probationer is reasonable under special needs

Random suspicionless drug testing of any probationer (even those from nondrug cases), satisfied the Fourth Amendment and state constitution under special needs. State v. Hinnenkamp, 2019 Kan. App. LEXIS 44 (July 5, 2019):

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CA10: Photographing partially undressed child at school for suspected child abuse gets QI

A state case worker who photographed a partially unclothed child at school gets qualified immunity for a special needs search of the child. No SCOTUS or circuit case says that the special needs doctrine does or does not apply here. … Continue reading

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NJ: GPS monitoring of sex offender still on supervision is reasonable under “special needs”; one not on supervision is not

Two sex offenders sued over their GPS monitoring. The state defended under the special needs doctrine. GPS monitoring of SO still on supervision is reasonable, but it is unreasonable as to the one off supervision. H.R. v. N.J. State Parole … Continue reading

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CA9: Forced sex abuse exam of children without parental consent or court approval violates 4A

Children were removed from the home because of suspected child abuse and subjected to forced gynecological and rectal exams without any court authorization or parental knowledge or consent. The court assumes the “special needs” doctrine applies and then finds it … Continue reading

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VA: RS not required for a jail book-in strip search

Reasonable suspicion is not required for a jail book-in strip search. Defendant was arrested for a drug offense, and he was freely moving around in book-in, but a search ultimately happened, and a baggie of cocaine was protruding from his … Continue reading

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WI: Checkpoint minutes after an armed robbery was reasonable; only two cars stopped

Officers responding to an armed robbery call were in the vicinity and parked in the street with top lights on along a possible escape route creating de facto checkpoint or roadblock. Because of time of day, there were few cars … Continue reading

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MA: Admin search doctrine or special needs didn’t permit a discretionary suspicionless search of a car on a prison parking lot

The trial court judge properly allowed defendant’s pretrial motion to suppress evidence seized during a warrantless search of his motor vehicle while it was parked in a parking lot outside a correctional facility, where, at the time a police officer … Continue reading

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DE: GPS monitoring of Tier III sex offenders satisfied “special needs” exception

Statute mandating GPS monitoring of all Tier III sex offenders granted parole or probation without reference to their individual risks of recidivism did not violate the Fourth Amendment under Vernonia’s “special needs” exception. Plaintiffs did not have a legitimate privacy … Continue reading

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CA3: Direction to ptf to remove pants for observation of UA on supervision was reasonable

Plaintiff was in a urine testing program as a condition of state supervision, and, to prevent cheating, the testing officer directed him to remove his pants so direct observation could be done. Plaintiff characterizes this as a strip search. The … Continue reading

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CA9: It was obvious by signs and longstanding practice that military bases are secure; having to lockup belongings before a consensual interview on the base wasn’t a seizure

Plaintiff was employed by the military, and NCIS had him come to a base for an interview about budgetary matters. The base was secure and everybody entering was subject to search and knew it from the signs. In the interview … Continue reading

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