Virginia judge rules police can require suspect to unlock cell phone with fingerprint

Virginia judge rules police can require suspect to unlock cell phone with fingerprint

By Taylor Gillan on Nov 01, 2014 03:40 pm
[JURIST] A judge for the 2nd Judicial District of Virginia [official website] on Thursday ruled that police can force criminal suspects to unlock their cell phones with a fingerprint scanner to allow officers to open and search them. Officers may not, however, compel suspects to give up their phone pass codes. Judge Steven Frucci ruled[Virginian-Pilot report] that revealing a pass code requires a suspect to disclose knowledge, which the law prohibits. Having a fingerprint taken to unlock the phone, he...   +read more