Opinion ID: 1037638
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The New Jersey Search Warrant

Text: Lackner does not contend that the New Jersey warrant was infirm, that the search of his residence was unconstitutional, or that the seizure of the Sony laptop was inappropriate. Instead, Lackner’s argument is confined to the legality of the search of the laptop’s contents. Lackner first asserts that the New Jersey warrant’s explicit authorization for the search to be conducted by “any officer of any police department having jurisdiction” should be understood as limited to only those law enforcement officers “having jurisdiction to execute this warrant.” (Lackner Reply brief at 1.) Lackner elaborates that only a law enforcement officer “having adequate territorial or exceptional jurisdiction to execute” the warrant, (id. at 3), was authorized to conduct a search under the New Jersey warrant. Lackner, however, does not cite any authority for the proposition that he has standing to challenge who has the authority to execute a validly-issued warrant. In this 6 regard, it is not unusual for local law enforcement personnel to rely upon the expertise of federal forensic examiners to undertake the highly technical examination of electronic media. See, e.g., United States v. Williams, 592 F.3d 511, 522 (4th Cir. 2010) (upholding under plain view doctrine FBI search of computer pursuant to a state court warrant issued to state law enforcement personnel). Indeed, the warrant in this case contemplated that the Cherry Hill police officers would deliver the seized items to law enforcement officers outside their territorial jurisdiction. Lackner argues, however, that the New Jersey warrant authorized only the seizure of the Sony laptop and other electronic media, not a search of their contents. This argument is specious. The warrant allowed for a search of Lackner’s residence for evidence of “the crime of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4.” (App. 43.) Only by examining the contents of electronic media could it be ascertained that evidence of such criminal activity existed. In this respect, the affidavit accompanying the search warrant application attested to the needs of an analyst to conduct a proper examination of the contents of the electronic media. Thus, the New Jersey warrant plainly contemplated a search of the digital evidence. Finally, contrary to Lackner’s assertion that the New Jersey warrant at best allowed for searching for evidence of Lackner’s contacts with “Jessica,” the warrant extended to evidence “relevant to any prosecution of the designated offense,” Williams, 592 F.3d at 520, i.e.,“Endangering the Welfare of a Child.” The fact that the evidence found on the Sony laptop depicted a second potential minor does not invalidate the seizure or the search. 7 In summary, the FBI agents were authorized to participate in the search, the search was properly confined to the limits of the search warrant, and the search warrant did not restrict the search to evidence involving “Jessica.” Therefore, the District Court did not err in denying the motion to suppress on the basis of the New Jersey warrant.