FBI Seizures From Safe Deposit Boxes Violated US Constitution: Federal Court

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

FBI violated the Fourth Amendment, court finds

The FBI’s seizure of contents from safe deposit boxes during a raid on a Beverly Hills vault in 2021 violated the U.S. Constitution, a federal appeals court ruled on Jan. 23.

Agents raided U.S. Private Vaults, a business that allowed people to rent safe deposit boxes anonymously, based on the belief that criminals were using the service. The search warrant stated that agents could only open the boxes to inventory their contents and identify the owners for the return of their property.

However, agents brought drug-sniffing dogs and planned to set aside cash worth more than $5,000, with the intent to seize the money.

The FBI searched the contents of about 700 safe deposit boxes.

When people who rented boxes asked the FBI for their belongings back after the raid, the bureau refused, saying it was going to file for forfeiture or transfer ownership to the government. The renters of the boxes then sued.

A U.S. district judge previously ruled in favor of the government, finding the search was covered by what’s known as an inventory exception to the requirement for a warrant in the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment.

That exception, though, doesn’t apply to the raid on U.S. Private Vaults, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled.

The ruling hinged largely on how the exception requires searches to operate on standardized instructions and highlighted how the FBI, in the Beverly Hills raid, used supplemental, customized instructions.

“Once the government begins adding a set of ‘customized’ instructions to a ’standardized‘ inventory policy—particularly the type of custom instructions presented by this case—the entire search stops being conducted pursuant to a ’standardized’ policy,” U.S. Circuit Judge Milan D. Smith Jr. wrote in the ruling.

‘No Probable Cause’

During oral arguments, the appeals court panel compared the search to the “writs of assistance,” or unlimited searches executed by British authorities in pre-founding America.

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

By Zachary Stieber

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Science Has Finally Come For Transgenderism

British biologist Richard Dawkins said “trans women are men,” calling transgender ideology a movement that undermines biological truth.

Trump is Coming for Antifa

Liberals say there is no organization called “Antifa”. Conservatives say Antifa is real and we now know how it is funded. What should we believe?

The Pentagon vs. the Free Press (or What’s Left of It)

Reporting what the government would rather not have reported is not just an essential function but a duty of a free press in a representative system.

Truth & Treason

World War II has long served as a compelling...

Is an American confusing England for Britain a problem?

The difficulty is when Americans try to engage with British politics, where they keep saying "England" rather than "Britain."

Artillery Fire at Vance’s Marine Corps Celebration Sparks Friction With Newsom

Marine officials said firing artillery at Camp Pendleton is routine and disrupting traffic on I-5 is unnecessary, but Newsom closed portions of I-5 anyway.

FBI Director Says Hunting Stand Found Near Trump’s Air Force One Exit Area

FBI Dir. Kash Patel and the Secret Service found a hunting stand overlooking an Air Force One exit area near Palm Beach Airport before Trump’s arrival.

Transgender Identification Losing Ground Among Young Americans, Report Says

A newly released report suggests transgender identification among Generation Z in America has lost momentum after peaking in 2023.

US Warns Hamas Planning Attack on Palestinian Civilians in Apparent Violation of Gaza Cease-Fire

The U.S. State Dept said it has “credible reports” that the Hamas terrorist group could violate the cease-fire with an attack on Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Army Corps of Engineers to Pause $11 Billion in Projects During Shutdown: Vought

Russ Vought, director of the White House’s OMB, has added to the growing pile of federal projects paused during the government shutdown.

Trump Signs Executive Order Putting New Restrictions on Federal Hiring

Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to restrict hiring, with exceptions for immigration, security, and political appointees.

Trump Says He Has Authorized Covert CIA Operations in Venezuela

President Trump authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela, expanding U.S. assets there to increase pressure on President Nicolás Maduro’s regime.

Trump Posthumously Awards Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Trump posthumously awarded Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the White House Rose Garden on Oct 14, Charlie's birthday.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central