WyBlog

NJ Supreme Court rules schools can search cars of students at will

The New Jersey State Supreme Court has delivered a message to high school students interested in individual liberty. "You don't have any."

When it comes to the War on Drugs there is no such thing as an "unreasonable" search. Or put it another way, the Fourth Amendment doesn't apply to students on school grounds. Even if that student is an adult (age 18+).

The standard now set for New Jersey students is "reasonable suspicion" and not the more stringent "probable cause" required for police to obtain a search warrant. School administrators can compel random drug testing, search lockers and backpacks at will, and now scour vehicles driven by students ostensibly to prevent drugs from being distributed.

But what if a teacher or school employee is "reasonably suspected" of dealing drugs? Then the assistant principal is powerless! The usual "probable cause" standard applies, and the police must be called. So what exactly is the difference between an 18 year old student and a school employee? Student status? Both are adults. Both should be treated equally under the law. Yet our State Supreme Court hath decreed that students, regardless of their age, are second-class citizens.

That's a fine lesson to be imparting to the leaders of tomorrow.

Posted at 19:22 by Chris Wysocki   [/rants]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet