‘Twas the Night Before a No-Knock Raid
Like Santa, SWAT's making a list… and, hopefully, checking it twice before they invade someone's home.
SCOTUS Hearing Cell Phone Surveillance Case
The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a case where the government accessed the past location information of a person without a warrant.
Utah needs a constitutional amendment to protect electronic data
The following op-ed, written by our research intern Molly Davis, was published today in the Salt Lake Tribune. In the digital era, our private lives are often stored within our mobile devices. In a surveillance state, law...
The Utah Legislature said NO to REAL ID—So Why is the State Now Fully Compliant?
Starting this year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is threatening that the TSA will begin rejecting driver’s licenses from states that refused to comply with the federal REAL ID guidelines. This now sets the stage...
Police Body Cameras in Utah
In an age where every cell phone user is a potential videographer, police tactics have come under increased scrutiny from the public as headlines of law enforcement confrontations gone wrong are captured by citizen bystanders....
HB386: Creating Statewide Guidelines for Police Body Cameras
This bill was not considered by the legislature. Libertas Institute supports this bill. Libertas Institute spent hundreds of man hours over the past year working on a comprehensive proposal for the use of body cameras in Utah....
SB226: Requiring a Warrant for Police to See Through Our Walls
This bill passed both chambers of the legislature unanimously and was signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas Institute supports this bill. A 2001 U.S. Supreme Court case, Kylio v. U.S., addressed the use of thermal imaging...
HB150: Prohibiting Support for the NSA in Utah
This bill was not considered by the legislature. Libertas Institute supports this bill. Last year, Representative Marc Roberts sponsored legislation to prohibit political subdivisions in Utah (cities, counties, etc.) from...
Governor Supports Keeping NSA in Utah
Legislation introduced last year by Representative Marc Roberts sought to prevent material assistance in the state of Utah to the National Security Agency (NSA) for its warrantless surveillance of innocent individuals. Last...
Protecting The 4th Amendment In the Digital Age
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or...