United States v. Hartwell
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
436 F.3d 174 (2006)
Relevant factsFree
Christian Hartwell (defendant) set off a metal detector at an airport checkpoint. TSA agents used a magnetic wand and located a metal object in his pocket, which turned out to contain crack cocaine. Hartwell was arrested and convicted in federal district court, and appealed, arguing the search violated the Fourth Amendment and the drugs should have been suppressed.
IssueFree
Whether a warrantless, suspicionless airport security checkpoint search violates the Fourth Amendment when conducted to prevent attacks on aircraft.