US supreme court ruling against Americans Basic rights The recent ruling in Fernandez v California has established that police my enter a home or other dwelling even without the consent of the occupant, so long as at least one other occupant has given permission. This ruling creates a very dangerous precedent, further undermining the 4th Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects against unlawful search and seizures. In addition, it demonstrates the degree to which US institutions of justice have become tools of political expediency serving power, rather than checking it. Fernandez v California was a case involving a suspect in a street robbery who, when police came to his door, refused them entry, citing their lack of a warrant as required by the 4th Amendment. However, despite having refused the police entry to the apartment, he was arrested and taken away. When police returned to the apartment, they claim that the suspect’s girlfriend consented to their entering without a warrant. Inside, police seized a shotgun and gang-related material. The case and the subsequent Supreme Court ruling raise several important questions about the nature of constitutional rights and civil liberties in the US today. Additionally, it further entrenches the rights of police to act unlawfully and with total disregard for accepted norms of civil and human rights both in the US and around the world. Far from being a world leader in this regard, the United States seems to be continuing on the road to a police state. rt/op-edge/us-supreme-court-war-138/
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 13:29:26 +0000