The Ohio Supreme Court recently issued a landmark decision on the level of specificity required in search warrants in State v. Castagnola.  A link to the decision can be found here.

http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2015/2015-Ohio-1565.pdf

The case, which involved the search of a personal computer found inside a suspect’s home, outlined what is required when the police want to enter a residence and seize a private computer for a later search.  In short, the Court held that the police need to do more than simply state that evidence of a crime may be found somewhere on a computer.  The Court effectively prohibited general sweeps of a computer’s hard drive.

Moving forward, Castagnola will limit the circumstances in which the police can search an individual’s computer, and will enhance the privacy rights of Ohio citizens.  The decision is a major victory for the Ohio criminal defense bar, and will provide a tool to defend cases involving the search of computers.

Contact the experienced criminal attorneys at the Brown Law Office today for a free consultation at 330-601-0101.