New Jersey vs. T.L.O. in Relation to Criminal Justice Policy.
Heather Moraski, Department of Criminal Justice, Pace University. CRJ 20089: Constitutional Issues in the Criminal Justice System. Professor Ian Heller. May 2, 2024.
Within the education scope, ensuring the well-being of students is crucial, while maintaining order in schools is also needed. The vital case that is centered on school searches and seizures is known as New Jersey v. T.L.O (1985). New Jersey v. T.L.O. is a landmark case as it establishes when and how a public school official can search someone in a school environment without a search warrant, and to what extent. New Jersey, v T.L.O. is based on an incident in March 1980 in Piscataway, New Jersey, at Piscataway …show more content…
Applying the facts to this case, the Court held that the school administrator’s search did not violate the Fourth Amendment. T. L. O. was found delinquent and sentenced to probation for one year. T. L. O. went on to appeal the decision made by the Juvenile Court to the Appellate Division. The Appellate Division agreed with the Juvenile Court’s decision, but they did vacate the delinquency charge, and sent back the case to the Juvenile Court to figure out if T.L.O. had knowingly and voluntarily waived her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination before confessing. In the third ruling, the New Jersey State Supreme Court agreed that the Fourth Amendment applies to the conduct of school officials. However, the Court did state that the school administrator’s conduct was unjustifiable, as the possession of cigarettes did not violate school rules. The basis and reasoning for this ruling is extremely important, as it helps understand why the decisions in the courts were made. The Court revealed that the Fourth Amendment’s forbidding unreasonable searches and seizures applies to public school officials. The Court came to this decision by reasoning that public …show more content…
The search was reasonable, and the court ruled that the actions did not violate the Fourth Amendment. However, Justice Brennan believed that the school administrator’s actions violated T.L.O. rights, and the evidence from the unlawful search should be ridden off. From a policy standpoint, this case is very crucial. T.L.O. v New Jersey has had a very important impact on criminal justice policy and practitioners. The Supreme Court’s decision in T.L.O. established “reasonable suspicion” for searches conducted by school officials. T. L. O. requires school authorities to have specific facts that show a student has violated a law or school rule, prior to conducting a search. This fact is significant as it has impacted and influenced the rules and standards of school officials, forming the searches and interactions that are held today in school systems. To fully understand what this idea means, O.J. Gov. says, “The students' privacy rights must be balanced against the necessity of maintaining school discipline.” T.L.O also benefits law enforcement officers who work in schools, as it provides guidelines for their actions. In this
Heather Moraski, Department of Criminal Justice, Pace University. CRJ 20089: Constitutional Issues in the Criminal Justice System. Professor Ian Heller. May 2, 2024.
Within the education scope, ensuring the well-being of students is crucial, while maintaining order in schools is also needed. The vital case that is centered on school searches and seizures is known as New Jersey v. T.L.O (1985). New Jersey v. T.L.O. is a landmark case as it establishes when and how a public school official can search someone in a school environment without a search warrant, and to what extent. New Jersey, v T.L.O. is based on an incident in March 1980 in Piscataway, New Jersey, at Piscataway …show more content…
Applying the facts to this case, the Court held that the school administrator’s search did not violate the Fourth Amendment. T. L. O. was found delinquent and sentenced to probation for one year. T. L. O. went on to appeal the decision made by the Juvenile Court to the Appellate Division. The Appellate Division agreed with the Juvenile Court’s decision, but they did vacate the delinquency charge, and sent back the case to the Juvenile Court to figure out if T.L.O. had knowingly and voluntarily waived her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination before confessing. In the third ruling, the New Jersey State Supreme Court agreed that the Fourth Amendment applies to the conduct of school officials. However, the Court did state that the school administrator’s conduct was unjustifiable, as the possession of cigarettes did not violate school rules. The basis and reasoning for this ruling is extremely important, as it helps understand why the decisions in the courts were made. The Court revealed that the Fourth Amendment’s forbidding unreasonable searches and seizures applies to public school officials. The Court came to this decision by reasoning that public …show more content…
The search was reasonable, and the court ruled that the actions did not violate the Fourth Amendment. However, Justice Brennan believed that the school administrator’s actions violated T.L.O. rights, and the evidence from the unlawful search should be ridden off. From a policy standpoint, this case is very crucial. T.L.O. v New Jersey has had a very important impact on criminal justice policy and practitioners. The Supreme Court’s decision in T.L.O. established “reasonable suspicion” for searches conducted by school officials. T. L. O. requires school authorities to have specific facts that show a student has violated a law or school rule, prior to conducting a search. This fact is significant as it has impacted and influenced the rules and standards of school officials, forming the searches and interactions that are held today in school systems. To fully understand what this idea means, O.J. Gov. says, “The students' privacy rights must be balanced against the necessity of maintaining school discipline.” T.L.O also benefits law enforcement officers who work in schools, as it provides guidelines for their actions. In this