Baseball and the Search for Electronic Records
Information Today, Vol. 26, No. 10, p. 15, November 2009
3 Pages Posted: 11 Oct 2013
Date Written: November 1, 2009
Abstract
Since 2002, the government has been investigating the Bay Area Lab Cooperative (BALCO) for its involvement in the use of illegal steroids, particularly among athletes.
As part of its BALCO investigation, the government obtained search warrants for CDT’s records, specifically focusing on ten individuals who had allegedly been connected to BALCO. However, because the records were in the form of computer files, the government actually obtained the records for hundreds of ballplayers, other athletes, and other individuals. In late August, the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the government had misused its authority to properly seize records under the search warrants, and ordered the records returned. More importantly, the Court issued strong new guidelines on the seizure of electronic records and datafiles.
Keywords: privacy, plain view, 4th amendment, search and seizure, baseball, steroids
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