Updated: April 17, 2013
Today the Supreme Court of the United States released its opinion in Missouri v. McNeely. "We are pleased that the Supreme Court of the United States recognizes that the natural dissipation of alcohol in the bloodstream does not qualify as an emergency justifying a forced blood draw without a warrant. Unless there is a true emergency, the police must take the time to obtain a warrant, as intended by the Fourth Amendment, which protects us against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government," said Tony Rothert, legal director of the ACLU-EM.
Updated: Jan. 9, 2013
ACLU Legal Director Steven R. Shapiro appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday in this important case involving warrantless searches of persons suspected of drunk driving.
Updated: Sept. 25, 2012
The Supreme Court of the United States announced this morning that it will hear the State of Missouri v. McNeely.
“The Missouri Supreme Court was correct when it ruled that this was an infringement of the fourth amendment, which protects individuals from warrantless searches,” said Brenda L. Jones, executive director of the ACLU-EM.
“The Missouri Supreme Court got this right when they ruled in McNeely’s favor,” said Tony Rothert, legal director of the ACLU-EM. “This will give the Supreme Court the opportunity to decide for every state whether a warrant is required before blood is forcibly taken from a suspect.”
The ACLU-EM is a non-partisan, not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of civil liberties in eastern Missouri. Located in St. Louis, the ACLU-EM is an affiliate of the national ACLU.