Don't students have a right against illegal searches, as adults?

by JerryM | February 15, 2012 at 05:31 pm
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Does a right against unreasonable search and seizures exist in public schools? Don't minors enjoy the same rights as adults? After all, there are no exceptions made under our Constitution towards those who aren't adults.  Of all our rights that deal with civil involvement, the only thing that minors can't do is vote, and depending on the situation, contribute to political campaigns.
They are afforded full Constitutional protections. Why than, are these rights often trampled upon? Children in high schools see their rights commonly violated,  in cases that adults would not put up with.  Well of course, 18-20 year old adults can't drink alcohol, which is arguably a violation of "equal protection" under the Constitution. 
  I bring this up because a than 15 year old high school student in North Carolina was searched in 2008, it seems through a random search of all students, by having her pull her bra pulled away from her body.  The defense lawyer argued that the prescription drug found, perocet,  and drug paraphernalia also found, to be thrown out as a violation of her Constitutional rights. This is of course correct. The judge denied this motion, probably because he thinks the drug war is more important that the Constitution he is empowered to enforce.   
Drug paraphernalia by the way can mean something that is perfectly illegal but becomes magically illegal become the government says so. If you have illegal drugs, and  maybe even if you don't, the government can say that credit card you have or that small compact case is suddenly drug paraphernalia. This is of course similar to laws against prostitution, the only thing (sex with other adults) that becomes illegal when done for money.  
 Of course organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and DRCnet exist to curb these gross abuses of the drug war. If they did not exist, the situation would be even worse.

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