cops can’t search backpacks of demonstrators without probable cause
law.com reports:New York City police officers cannot search the bags and backpacks of demonstrators at the Republican National Convention later this summer without showing both a specific threat to public safety and an indication of how blanket searches could reduce the threat, according to a federal judge.
But Southern District Judge Robert W. Sweet also ruled that "less intrusive searches," such as metal-detecting wands, would not violate the Fourth Amendment and would not be banned under a preliminary injunction he issued on police practices Monday.
The ruling was one of several by Sweet in three demonstration-related cases filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) Foundation. The lead case is Stauber v. The City of New York, 03 Civ. 9162.
Sweet also ruled on the use of "pens" by police to corral demonstrators during the Aug. 30 - Sept. 2 Republican National Convention, finding that pens may be used but they may not unreasonably restrict "access to and participation in demonstrations through the use of pens."
And they can use horses for crowd control as well, according to the judge. I have bad memories of that from my NYC union organizer days when the cops acted like fellow union members ONLY when it was contract time and they wanted us to help them.
I kind of wish we were going to be there demonstrating as well. But I'm also glad we're going to be on vacation during this convention since I want nothing to do with the spillover. (We don't live very far from Manhattan.)
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