WABE: Appeals Court Upholds Strip Search Policy (2008-09-04)

Atlanta

Appeals Court Upholds Strip Search Policy

Jim Burress (2008-09-04)

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ATLANTA, GA (WABE) - (To hear this story, click on the icon above that reads 'Listen: MP3'. The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals considered the arguments of five men detained at the Fulton County Jail. Each claims his Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure was violated when he was forced to strip naked, shower, and undergo inspection.

Jailers had no reason to believe the five men were hiding any contraband, but still conducted the strip searches out of policy.

In the end, all but one judge sided with Fulton County.

In its published decisionm the appeals court cites the 1979 case of Bell v. Wolfish. In that case, the US Supreme Court ruled that blanket strip searches ultimately have at heart the safety of all inmates, and therefore trump any privacy concerns.

As a result, Fulton County's strip searches can continue.

To read the full decision, visit: http://www.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/ops/200516734ENB.pdf
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