K.S.A. § 22-2502 — KS Code / Chapter 22 / Article 25 / Section 22-2502
22-2502 - Search warrants; issuance; proceedings authorized; availability of affidavits and testimony in support of probable cause requirement; use of electronic communications and tracking devices.
Status: in_force

22-2502. Search warrants; issuance; proceedings authorized; availability of affidavits and testimony in support of probable cause requirement; use of electronic communications and tracking devices. (a) A search warrant shall be issued only upon the oral or written statement, including those conveyed or received by electronic communication, of a law enforcement officer under oath or affirmation that states facts sufficient to show probable cause that a crime has been, is being or is about to be committed and which particularly describes a person, place or means of conveyance to be searched and things to be seized. Any statement that is made orally shall be either taken down by a certified shorthand reporter, sworn to under oath and made part of the application for a search warrant, or recorded before the magistrate from whom the search warrant is requested and sworn to under oath. Any statement orally made shall be reduced to writing as soon thereafter as possible. If the magistrate is satisfied that grounds for the application exist or that there is probable cause to believe that they exist, the magistrate may issue a search warrant for:

(1) The search or seizure of the following:

(A) Anything that can be seized under the fourth amendment of the United States constitution;

(B) anything that has been used in the commission of a crime, or any contraband or any property that constitutes or may be considered a part of the evidence, fruits or instrumentalities of a crime under the laws of this state, any other state or of the United States. The term "fruits" as used in this act shall be interpreted to include any property into which the thing or things unlawfully taken or possessed may have been converted;

(C) any person who has been kidnapped in violation of the laws of this state or who has been kidnapped in another jurisdiction and is now concealed within this state;

(D) any human fetus or human corpse;

(E) any biological material, DNA, cellular material, blood, hair or fingerprints;

(F) any person for whom a valid felony arrest warrant has been issued in this state or in another jurisdiction; or

(G) (i) any information concerning the user of an electronic communication service, any information concerning the location of electronic communications systems, including, but not limited to, towers transmitting cellular signals involved in any wire communication, and any other information made through an electronic communications system; or

(ii) the jurisdiction granted in this paragraph shall extend to information held by entities registered to do business in the state of Kansas, submitting to the jurisdiction thereof, and entities primarily located outside the state of Kansas if the jurisdiction in which the entity is primarily located recognizes the authority of the magistrate to issue the search warrant; or

(2) the installation, maintenance and use of a tracking device.

(b) (1) The search warrant under subsection (a)(2) shall authorize the installation and use of the tracking device to track and collect tracking data relating to a person or property for a specified period of time, not to exceed 30 days from the date of the installation of the device.

(2) The search warrant under subsection (a)(2) may authorize the retrieval of the tracking data recorded by the tracking device during the specified period of time for authorized use of such tracking device within a reasonable time after the expiration of such warrant, for good cause shown.

(3) The magistrate may, for good cause shown, grant one or more extensions of a search warrant under subsection (a)(2) for the use of a tracking device, not to exceed 30 days each.

(c) Before ruling on a request for a search warrant, the magistrate may require the affiant to appear personally and may examine under oath the affiant and any witnesses that the affiant may produce. Such proceeding shall be taken down by a certified shorthand reporter or recording equipment and made part of the application for a search warrant.

(d) For a warrant executed prior to July 1, 2014, affidavits or sworn testimony in support of the probable cause requirement of this section or search warrants for tracking devices shall not be made available for examination without a written order of the court, except that such affidavits or testimony when requested shall be made available to the defendant or the defendant's counsel for such disposition as either may desire.

(e) (1) For a warrant executed on or after July 1, 2014, affidavits or sworn testimony in support of the probable cause requirement of this section or search warrants for tracking devices shall not be open to the public until the warrant has been executed. After the warrant has been executed, such affidavits or sworn testimony shall be made available to:

(A) The defendant or the defendant's counsel, when requested, for such disposition as either may desire; and

(B) any person, when requested, in accordance with the requirements of this subsection.

(2) Any person may request that affidavits or sworn testimony be disclosed by filing such request with the clerk of the court. The clerk of the court shall promptly notify the defendant or the defendant's counsel, the prosecutor and the magistrate that such request was filed. The prosecutor shall promptly notify any victim.

(3) Within five business days after receiving notice of a request for disclosure from the clerk of the court, the defendant or the defendant's counsel and the prosecutor may submit to the magistrate, under seal, either:

(A) Proposed redactions, if any, to the affidavits or sworn testimony and the reasons supporting such proposed redactions; or

(B) a motion to seal the affidavits or sworn testimony and the reasons supporting such proposed seal.

(4) The magistrate shall review the requested affidavits or sworn testimony and any proposed redactions or motion to seal submitted by the defendant, the defendant's counsel or the prosecutor. The magistrate shall make appropriate redactions, or seal the affidavits or sworn testimony, as necessary to prevent public disclosure of information that would:

(A) Jeopardize the physical, mental or emotional safety or well-being of a victim, witness, confidential source or undercover agent, or cause the destruction of evidence;

(B) reveal information obtained from a court-ordered wiretap or from a search warrant for a tracking device that has not expired;

(C) interfere with any prospective law enforcement action, criminal investigation or prosecution;

(D) reveal the identity of any confidential source or undercover agent;

(E) reveal confidential investigative techniques or procedures not known to the general public;

(F) endanger the life or physical safety of any person;

(G) reveal the name, address, telephone number or any other information which specifically and individually identifies the victim of any sexual offense described in article 35 of chapter 21 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, prior to their repeal, or article 55 of chapter 21 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated or K.S.A. 21-6419 through 21-6422, and amendments thereto;

(H) reveal the name of any minor;

(I) reveal any date of birth, personal or business telephone number, driver's license number, nondriver's identification number, social security number, employee identification number, taxpayer identification number, vehicle identification number or financial account information; or

(J) constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. As used in this subparagraph, "clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy" means revealing information that would be highly offensive to a reasonable person and is totally unrelated to the alleged crime that resulted in the issuance of the search warrant, including information totally unrelated to the alleged crime that may pose a risk to a person or property and is not of legitimate concern to the public. The provisions of this subparagraph shall only be used to redact and shall not be used to seal affidavits or sworn testimony.

(5) Within five business days after receiving proposed redactions or a motion to seal from the defendant, the defendant's counsel or the prosecutor, or within 10 business days after receiving notice of a request for disclosure, whichever is earlier, the magistrate shall either:

(A) Order disclosure of the affidavits or sworn testimony with appropriate redactions, if any; or

(B) order the affidavits or sworn testimony sealed and not subject to public disclosure.

(6) (A) If the magistrate orders disclosure of the affidavits or sworn testimony with appropriate redactions, if any, to any person in accordance with the requirements of this subsection, then such affidavits or sworn testimony shall become part of the court record and shall be accessible to the public.

(B) If the magistrate orders the affidavits or sworn testimony sealed and not subject to public disclosure in accordance with the requirements of this subsection, then such affidavits or sworn testimony shall become part of the court record that is not accessible to the public.

(C) Any request for disclosure of affidavits or sworn testimony in accordance with the requirements of this subsection shall become part of the court record and shall be accessible to the public, regardless of whether the magistrate orders disclosure with appropriate redactions, if any, or sealing of the requested affidavit or sworn testimony.

(f) As used in this section:

(1) "Electronic communication" means the use of electronic equipment to send or transfer a copy of an original document;

(2) "electronic communication service" and "electronic communication system" have the meaning as defined in K.S.A. 22-2514, and amendments thereto;

(3) "tracking data" means information gathered or recorded by a tracking device;

(4) "tracking device" means an electronic or mechanical device that permits a person to remotely determine or track the position or movement of a person or object. "Tracking device" includes, but is not limited to, a device that stores geographic data for subsequent access or analysis and a device that allows for the real-time monitoring of movement; and

(5) "victim" shall include any victim of an alleged crime that resulted in the issuance of the search warrant, or, if the victim is deceased, the victim's family, as defined in K.S.A. 74-7335, and amendments thereto.

(g) Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring a search warrant for cellular location information in an emergency situation pursuant to K.S.A. 22-4615, and amendments thereto .