Supreme Court Rules on Bus Searches
Mon Jun 17,10:48 AM ET
By GINA HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court ruled Monday that police who want to look for drugs or evidence of other crimes do not have to first inform public transportation passengers of their legal rights.
The ruling gives police guidance on how to approach and search passengers, a case with renewed interest as officers seek out possible terrorists on public transportation.
Justices rejected arguments that passengers, confined to small spaces, might feel coerced.
The court ruled 6-3 that officers in Tallahassee, Fla., were within their rights as they questioned and searched two men aboard a Greyhound bus in 1999.
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, writing for the majority, said the passengers did not have to be told that they didn't have to cooperate.
