California high court rules no warrant needed to search cell phone text messages

[JURIST] The Supreme Court of California [official website] ruled [opinion, PDF] Monday that law enforcement officers can legally search text messages on a suspect’s cell phone without a warrant incident to a lawful custodial arrest. The court held 5-2 that a search of the defendant’s cell phone text messages in the police station 90 minutes after the arrest did not violate the Fourth Amendment [text] prohibition against unreasonable search and seizure without exigent circumstances. The majority based its decision on…