California Warrant Valid Though Federal Agent Conducted Search

A federal agent didn’t violate the Fourth Amendment by executing a California state-issued warrant to search a cell phone, the Ninth Circuit said.

Even though the agent didn’t have authority to execute the warrant under state law, doing so didn’t implicate any interests protected by the amendment, Judge Paul J. Watford said in the March 27 opinion.

Donnell Artis was suspected of credit card theft and identity theft. When FBI agent Stonie Carlson tried to arrest Artis, he ran away, but dropped his phone.

Because Artis had outstanding state warrants against him, Carlson obtained a California warrant to search the ...