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Mass. SJC: Police Don't Need Search Warrant To Look At Cellphones

BOSTON (AP) — The highest court in Massachusetts has ruled that police do not necessarily need a search warrant to look at a list of cellphone calls made by someone who has been arrested.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports

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The unanimous decision issued by the Supreme Judicial Court on Wednesday does not apply to other cellphone contents, including text messages and emails.

The case involved a drug dealer who was arrested in July 2011. Police found his cellphone number on a phone owned by a known drug user.

A district court judge ruled that police acted within their legal authority because police have long been allowed to search for evidence of a crime from the person and their belongings when they are booking someone at the police station. The high court agreed.

Privacy experts questioned the decision.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

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