One Fingerprint Is All It Takes For The Government To Access Your Cell Phone

The Minnesota Supreme Court has recently come out with a decision that will affect a wide range of users with newer cell phones.

Your cell phone most likely has a simple fingerprint scanner. This fingerprint scanner is just one fingerprint away from allowing the government access into anything they want on your phone. You may think that you cannot be forced to allow the government access to your phone through your fingerprint. You may believe that you have rights that prevent this from happening.

It turns out that you may not. You may be forced to provide a fingerprint to unlock your phone when you are in legal trouble. The Fifth Amendment will not protect you. However, you can protect yourself by turning the lock code password requirement on your phone back on. It appears the Minnesota Supreme Court is leaning towards not allowing the government access to a person’s phone if it is protected by a password of numbers and/or letters. This is simply because you would have to use your mental processes by typing in the password, unlike a fingerprint cell phone scanner where you would just set your finger on it.

It would be self-incrimination and a violation of your Fifth Amendment right to force a person to type in a password of numbers and/or letters.

St. Cloud Criminal Defense Attorney

Regardless if your legal troubles involve a cell phone search contact Gierman Law for a free case evaluation. Ms. Gierman has handled a wide range of serious cases over her career and zealously looks after her client’s interests.