CHRIS MORELLI cmorelli@lockhaven.com
LOCK HAVEN The Clinton County Commissioners put a bow on 2020 at their final meeting of the year.
All three commissioners said they looked forward to turning the page to 2021.
Commissioner Angela Harding noted that Clinton County’s COVID-19 numbers continue to rise. She asked that all residents remain vigilant when it comes to battling the virus.
“Please continue to practice the mitigation efforts … social distancing, wearing masks and washing your hands,” Harding said. “Our COVID numbers if you pay attention to those things are rising. Some days aren’t as bad as others. I know the Department of Emergency Services has told us that a lot of the data that we see are ‘data dumps’ from the Department of Health. So, sometimes when the days are extremely higher than others, it’s the Department of Health sending that information in one big package.”
Mark Scolforo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Police must have probable cause as well as “exigent circumstances” in order to legally search a vehicle without a warrant, a divided Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
The 4-3 decision said the state constitution’s privacy protections are greater than the U.S. Constitution’s and that those protections extend to vehicles. The court overruled its own 2014 decision that probable cause alone was sufficient, given that vehicles are inherently mobile.
“Difficulties in clarifying the scope of the exigency requirement will lead to debates about what exactly the Pennsylvania Constitution demands in a given situation. But so what?” wrote Justice Christine Donohue, referring to the state’s constitutional language on searches.
Dec 23, 2020
HARRISBURG Police must have probable cause as well as “exigent circumstances” in order to legally search a vehicle without a warrant, a divided Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
The 4-3 decision said the state constitution’s privacy protections are greater than the U.S. Constitution’s and that those protections extend to vehicles. The court overruled its own 2014 decision that probable cause alone was sufficient, given that vehicles are inherently mobile.
“Difficulties in clarifying the scope of the exigency requirement will lead to debates about what exactly the Pennsylvania Constitution demands in a given situation. But so what?” wrote Justice Christine Donohue, referring to the state’s constitutional language on searches.
By Mark Scolforo •
Updated on December 23, 2020 at 11:27 am
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What to Know
Pennsylvania s Supreme Court says police must have probable cause as well as “exigent circumstances” in order to legally search a vehicle without a warrant.
The divided court ruling Tuesday was based on an analysis that the state constitution’s privacy protections are greater than the U.S. Constitution’s. The court overruled its own 2014 decision that probable cause alone was sufficient, given that vehicles are inherently mobile.
The dissenters argued the 2014 ruling should remain in place.
Police must have probable cause as well as “exigent circumstances” in order to legally search a vehicle without a warrant, a divided Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.