Was this cop in the wrong?

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**NOT ACTUALLY RACIST
A San Jose police officer used Apple’s Find My iPhone service to track down and rescue Melissa Vasquez, a woman who had been trapped in a 500-foot South Bay ravine for 17 hours. According to a report by KGO-TV, officer David Cameron is to thank for locating the stranded driver. After Vasquez was involved in a car accident, OnStar reported her location to the police, but they were unable to find any evidence of the car or driver.

When Cameron, who says he’s known around his department for being a bit of a “tech geek,” searched her house, he found her iPad and realized that he could use Find My iPhone to locate Vasquez’s cell phone. Vasquez’s tablet was locked using a passcode, but it took Cameron only three guesses to figure out the code and gain access to Find My iPhone.

From there it took only 20 minutes for police to track down Vasquez and begin the process of airlifting her to a nearby hospital.

Curious on thoughts. Did the cop invade her privacy? Should the cop had gotten a warrant before he tried to log into her iPad?
 
In short. No he was in the wrong. I mean good work by him, but allowing this to happen sets a dangerous precedent. Supposed someone declares that I'm missing, the cops get into my house looking for me and pulls up my iPad and uncovers that I have illegal music and busts me.
 
I can just see the story if the officer decided to go get a warrant, and the woman dies during the extra time it takes.

I can see the headlines " Cop More Concerned About Warrant Than Woman's Well-Being". Law Enforcement will always be criticized no matter what.

Like I said in another thread, I should have been a fireman. Everybody loves firemen.
 
And imagine if he did all that and she still died, then there would have been no headlines.

I'm sure this cop had no ill intent in his heart when he did this, but when it comes to cops you give an inch they'll take a lightyear.
 
No, the cop didn't do anything wrong based on the OP. I believe he had a reasonable exception to search the house and its belongings. Cops don't always need a warrant to search property. In this case the officer likely had consent from someone who was able to give consent to search her house, but even if he didn't this was an emergency and cops have the right to search and enter property in an emergency. Just needs to be reasonable.
 
Weso has a good point. If he had permission to be in the house, then he has the right to look at stuff "in plain sight" without a warrant.
 
zitothebrave said:
In short. No he was in the wrong. I mean good work by him, but allowing this to happen sets a dangerous precedent. Supposed someone declares that I'm missing, the cops get into my house looking for me and pulls up my iPad and uncovers that I have illegal music and busts me.
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Id like to see a judge convict that.
 
zitothebrave said:
In short. No he was in the wrong. I mean good work by him, but allowing this to happen sets a dangerous precedent. Supposed someone declares that I'm missing, the cops get into my house looking for me and pulls up my iPad and uncovers that I have illegal music and busts me.
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Maybe the moral of your far fetched fantasy scenario is don't break the law? I mean, buy the damn music and quit being a cheap ass. Then you won't have to worry with being caught.
 
Tapate50 said:
Maybe the moral of your far fetched fantasy scenario is don't break the law? I mean, buy the damn music and quit being a cheap ass. Then you won't have to worry with being caught.
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Everyone breaks the law. The4re are so many laws in place it's impossible to not break it
 
gilesfan said:
Id like to see a judge convict that.
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If we allow them to go into an iPad because of an emergency situation they can. For a comparison, supposed while in her apartment looking for her they found weed out in the open, they could bust her for that and a judge wouldn't dismiss it. The plea out would be easier but she wouldn't get off with nothing.
 
I really doubt it. I would assume any evidence they find is inadmissible in court.

You don't know the law, stop pretending to know it.
 
zitothebrave said:
Everyone breaks the law. The4re are so many laws in place it's impossible to not break it
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Within reason, no it's not.

Are you trying to tell me if you have 1000 songs from limewire back in 2006, you didn't know you were breaking the law? If so, it's hard to take your comment seriously.
 
zitothebrave said:
If we allow them to go into an iPad because of an emergency situation they can. For a comparison, supposed while in her apartment looking for her they found weed out in the open, they could bust her for that and a judge wouldn't dismiss it. The plea out would be easier but she wouldn't get off with nothing.
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Don't have weed in a state it's not legal if you don't want the consequences???? If not, don't piss n moan if you get popped.
 
gilesfan said:
I really doubt it. I would assume any evidence they find is inadmissible in court.

You don't know the law, stop pretending to know it.
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No, I'm not a lawyer, I am not an expert. Neither are you. If police see something illegal while doing a legal search, it is admissible in court. Plain sight rule.
 
zitothebrave said:
No, I'm not a lawyer, I am not an expert. Neither are you. If police see something illegal while doing a legal search, it is admissible in court. Plain sight rule.
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According to my best friend that's a defense attorney, it is not that simple. Thus, you are wrong.
 
The cop was never doing a search in this scenario. Even if the cop had been doing a search since the iPad was turned off, it wouldn't be considered 'plain sight' so whatever was on the iPad wouldnt be admissible in court

Not that the cop would give a **** about illegally downloaded music
 
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