Human Rights/legal human rights

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Expert: Le Anne Clausen - 7/26/2007


Question
according to the fourth amendment what is a "legal" search. what are the terms needed for a police man in order to preform such a search on a suspect

Answer
Greetings Noam, and thanks for your question.  I understand a legal search to be one for which a judge has signed a search warrant (particularly in case of property); or in the case of a person, where reasonable suspicion can be established that the person has concealed an illegal or harmful object on their person.  

Often this question arises today with the question of airport security.  Hands-on physical searches ('frisks') should be done by a person of the same gender, in as much privacy as possible, while explaining what is going on, and while not becoming sexually abusive (fondling of breasts or genitals, etc.)

In border customs or prison settings a strip search or cavity search is often used.  These also should be done by officers of the same gender, in complete privacy, and without causing harm or becoming sexually abusive.

I hope this helps!  Please let me know if you have further questions that I may help with.  

peace,
Le Anne

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Le Anne Clausen

Expertise

I can answer questions about human rights work as a vocation, human rights as they pertain to the Middle East and/or Muslim world, particularly Palestine/Israel, Iraq, and Afghanistan. While in Iraq, I helped to investigate prisoner abuses, including those at Abu Ghraib. I can also answer questions on women's rights in the Middle East. I cannot give you legal advice.

Experience

I was a human rights worker for four years in the Middle East, including Palestine, Israel, and Iraq. I also participated in a human rights delegation to Afghanistan in summer 2005. I have an MA in Christian-Muslim relations, with special study on women's issues; I also worked one year for an Arab women's grassroots human rights organization. I am currently working to build an interfaith peace-teams based human rights organization

Publications
"Be the Healers" (considering next steps for addressing the Abu Ghraib scandal), July 2004 edition, "The Lutheran" magazine. Also: www.christian-muslim.net; www.young-activist.blogspot.com; additional interviews and articles about me are available via Google search.

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