Amendment 4

Search and Seizure: Supreme Court to Hear Case of School Girl Strip- Searched for Ibruprofen

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2009/jan/23/search_and_seizure_supreme_court



Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure. Ratified 12/15/1791.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.


     

            The article was about an incident that occured involving 13 yr old, honor student Savana Redding and the accusation of the distribution of prescription drugs. One student was found with prescription drugs and claimed that Savana Redding gave them to her. When asked about the drugs, the honor student denied having them and school officials searched her locker and bookbag finding nothing. Upon not finding what they were looking for, school officials ordered 13 yr old Savana Redding to strip to her bare skin, still finding nothing.
                This situation ties to the constitution because amendment 4 gives people the right to be safe and secure against unreasonable searches. Officials say they were checking the honor student for potential harms to their students, but when findind nothing in her locker and bookbag they continued with the search. Members of the Judicial system are puzzled on whether the act was constitutional or not, due to the fact that they were trying to protect their students, but they went to unreasonable terms when ordering a 13 year old, honor student, to strip.
                  Situations like this are very bias, because I can see where school officials may have been right to do what they did. Prescription drugs can kill a person, if taken in too many doses. It seems that the school was only looking out for the safety of their students. However, the safety of the students only extends so far when it comes to degrading another students. If the officials did not find anything in her locker, nor bookbag it was evident that she did not have anything, because anything beyond that point is her personal area and should not be invaded. So when it comes to a case like this, it may have been an honest mistake but it should not happen again.