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How might new drug war buzz impact SCOTUS student strip-search case?

By Douglas A. Berman

As detailed in this SCOTUSblog post, the Supreme Court this morning hears an interesting Fourth Amendment case: [T]he Court will hear argument in Safford Unified School District v. Redding (08-479), on the constitutionality of strip-searching a student at a public school in search of drugs.  Matthew Wright of Holm Wright Hyde & Hays PLC in Phoenix will argue for 25 minutes for the school district. David O?Neil, Assistant to the Solicitor, will argue for 10 minutes for United States as amicus curiae supporting reversal.  Adam Wolf of the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation in Santa Cruz will argue for the student. Though there are many interesting aspects to this case, I will be reviewing the oral argument transcript closely to see if any of the Justices suggest they see this case as collateral damage from the failed drug war...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on April 21, 2009 (boomark / email).