Police Using Skype To Get Warrants While At A Crime Scene

from the virtual-courtroom dept

Wed, Mar 30th 2011 6:59pm — Mike Masnick

In this digital and connected age, many folks have discovered that the concept of a physical office is more and more outdated. Many of us can (and often do) work from anywhere. Apparently, a court in Florida is working under the same basic thought process as well. Copycense points us to the news that a judge in South Florida is working with police to let them use email and Skype while still at a crime scene to get a warrant. As one of the police officers noted: "It's like a virtual office and courtroom." So will other court functions start taking place this way soon as well? Who needs to sit around a courtroom for a trial when everyone can just login via Skype? Of course, you could (quite reasonably) argue that this is really no different than just using a phone to do the same thing...

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Filed Under: crime scene, email, skype, warrants

18 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2011 @ 7:05pm

Telecommuting will become ubiquitous...well, not if net neutrality is not uphold then we will go back to dial-up times when people actually didn't use the internet that much.
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Megore, 30 Mar 2011 @ 7:14pm

Do they print it out on scene, I'm pretty sure they have to produce it if requested no?
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Pixelation, 30 Mar 2011 @ 7:30pm

Good for them if the warrants are warranted. The beginnings of instant justice.
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Jay (profile), 30 Mar 2011 @ 8:08pm

I can see it now...

Accused: You don't have the authority

Officer: I AM the law!
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Judge Dredd, 30 Mar 2011 @ 9:00pm

I AM...
I AM the Law!

Judge... Jury... Executioner... Coming soon to a (former) United States near you.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2011 @ 10:25pm

I certainly don't mind due process becoming faster and more convenient, as long as it doesn't lose effectiveness or accuracy.
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G Thompson (profile), 31 Mar 2011 @ 12:56am

Who needs to sit around a courtroom for a trial when everyone can just login via Skype?

OMG.. I wouldn't have to wear pants then..

WOOT!

Seriously though, these sorts of trials have been going on for a while worldwide. Mobile LEO Office's are becoming quite ubiquitous and very high-tech.
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The eejit (profile), 31 Mar 2011 @ 1:23am

Re: I AM...
Welcome to the Burbs, scum.
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Mar 2011 @ 5:53am

Yeah... Skype, email, SMS next? Pfft. Make it ESP, THEN we can talk.
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jsf (profile), 31 Mar 2011 @ 7:28am

Warrant stuff has been handled by phone, fax, or email in the past, Skype is just another communication mechanism.
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mactrekr (profile), 31 Mar 2011 @ 10:00am

Re:
Suspect: "I demand to see a warrant!"
Cop: "Shit, my blackberry just died, you'll have to take my word for it, the judge just approved it on the interwebs"
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btr1701 (profile), 31 Mar 2011 @ 10:38am

Re: Warrants
> Do they print it out on scene, I'm pretty sure
> they have to produce it if requested no?

Probably not. This would be no different than the telephonic warrants that have been standard practice for decades. The suspect is told he/she will be provided with a copy of the warrant within 24 hours and if the police fail to do so, the warrant becomes invalid and the fruits of the search inadmissible.
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btr1701 (profile), 31 Mar 2011 @ 10:43am

Re: I AM...
> Judge... Jury... Executioner... Coming
> soon to a (former) United States near you.

How in the hell does being able to secure a warrant at the scene equate to "judge, jury, executioner"? It's still a warrant, subject to all the standard requirements of proof and probable cause.

The cops aren't acting as judges. They're *talking* with a judge over Skype, who examines their probable cause the same way he would if they were standing in front of him in his chambers. The cops aren't deciding innocent or guilt on the scene, so they're not acting as juries and they sure aren't executing sentence at the scene, either.
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Mar 2011 @ 10:47am

Skype? I thought they used You Tube. Just point to the video with the judge saying "Warrant Approved".
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Gene Cavanaugh, 31 Mar 2011 @ 9:28pm

Who needs to sit around a courtroom for a trial when everyone can just login via Skype?
Wait, wait - where did we get from a warrant (which only allows collecting evidence and similar functions) to a trial?
This makes sense.
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Christopher (profile), 1 Apr 2011 @ 3:22am

Re: Re: Warrants
In this day and age, there is no reason why they couldn't have police carry around a small printer so that they could print out these things in their car.
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Christopher (profile), 1 Apr 2011 @ 3:24am

Re: Re: I AM...
One time I have to agree with the non-paranoid among us. This is not equivalent to judge, jury and executioner.

All three of those things will be in a different place at a different time, and the latter is only if you are convicted of a very heinous crime (though I am totally against the death penalty).
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Christopher (profile), 1 Apr 2011 @ 3:25am

Re: Who needs to sit around a courtroom for a trial when everyone can just login via Skype?
No, it doesn't, and I got the sarcasm in your post. Stretching things way too far.
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