Michigan Supreme Court Limits Scope of Smartphone Search Warrants
2025-08-27
The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that overly broad warrants cannot be used by police to search a person's phone. In People v. Carson, the court found that warrants for digital devices must be specific, allowing access only to information directly related to the suspected crime. A warrant allowed police to search Carson's phone without limitations, leading to the collection of vast amounts of irrelevant data. The court deemed this a violation of the Fourth Amendment, requiring warrants to specify what can be searched and seized. The decision highlights the importance of digital privacy, emphasizing that warrants must precisely list what investigators seek and why, with magistrates verifying the factual basis for such access.
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