Legal Advice Blog: Legal Advice, Case Insights, & Local Law Information

I've thought about this time in my life for a while now, and it has finally crept up on me. On July 11, I will turn 50 years old. As the day approaches, I find myself wondering, "Where has the time gone?". The most famously asked question, "If you could redo life, what would you do differently?" keeps being asked and has me thinking long and hard about my past 50 years. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't change anything in my life. Of course, there are a few things I would do better than I did back then, but that's only because I've lived and learned through my mistakes. First, I have to give thanks to God for this life He has given me and how very blessed I am. A few of those blessings include having my mother, father, and amazing sisters still in my life. Another one of my many blessings is my wonderful husband of almost 30 years, who will always be my rock and anchor in my life. Of course, I cannot forget my two adult children who are and will always be my pride and joy. I am also thankful for my nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, very good friends, my four-legged fur children, and my job at Bordas & Bordas. Overall, my life has been pretty awesome, and I can't thank you all enough for making my life so special and loving me unconditionally. Turning fifty is a milestone in anyone's life. It's a sign of getting older, becoming wiser, and receiving our AARP cards, also known as discounts that many learn to love. Fifty should be the time when we look at our lives and say, "Let the party begin, let's rock and roll!" and that's exactly what I plan on doing. I'm going to try new adventures, go to new and exciting places, and not be afraid of what others think of me. Many people spend a long period of time in their lives worrying about being judged, and I say, no matter what you say or do, people are going to think what they want, so why worry about it? As I turn fifty and start a new chapter in my life, with once again the best husband in the world, I want to enjoy everything that life has to offer. I'm going to take this world on, embrace every minute of it, and have some real fun. For those of you who don't know, fun is my favorite "f word." I encourage you youngsters who may be reading this blog to use it more often than that other f word you tend to use. So, for those of you who have said turning 50 means that your life is halfway over, get out of your rocking chairs and get back in the game of life. I have decided that turning 50 means that my life has officially taken a turn into awesomeness. You only live once, so I'm going out to live this life, and when I die, I want to be able to thank God for the awesome ride that he has given me. How do you want people to remember you? I want people to remember me as the one who had a lot of fun in her life, and I can only hope that I've touched others in my life and reminded them to have as much fun as they can. I also hope people will remember me for being kind and caring to others, but most of all to animals who have no voice. Life is for the living, so go out and live your lives, I know I am. I don't call it a "bucket list," I call it a "living my life to the fullest list." With all of this being said, I hope you all enjoy my blogs about my adventures for the next fifty years. So here's to my next fifty years. Yes, I'm planning on living to be 100. Rock on Bordas & Bordas Family & Friends, Rock on...

Fourth of July Safety Tips from Michele Rejonis and Jeanne Dedo Fireworks, barbecues, swimming, fun times with family and friends...that's probably what comes to mind with thoughts of the 4 th of July. But without precautions, those fun times can quickly turn tragic. We are fortunate in the Ohio Valley in that there are many opportunities to view fireworks displays put on by professionals, but if you feel that you want to conduct your own displays, please keep in mind the following safety tips for a happy celebration: Don't let small children handle fireworks and remember that sparklers are not necessarily "safe" as they burn to temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees. Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that haven't full ignited. Light fireworks one at a time. Never throw or point fireworks at another person. Keep a hose or a bucket of water handy in case of a mishap. Youngsters should always supervision. Fireworks and alcohol don't mix. Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them. While celebrating the 4 th, please remember that the canine members of your family may not be as excited about the fireworks displays as you are. As crowds "oohh" and "ahhh," the sound of "bombs bursting in air" may cause your four-legged friends to become stressed. Bordas & Bordas dogs, Barley and Guinness, would like to remind you that more dogs run away from home on July 4 th compared to any other day of the year as they attempt to seek shelter and escape the loud noises. The safest place for your pet during all fireworks displays is inside your home. Certainly, no one wants to think about their best friend running away, but it's good to be prepared just in case. It could ensure their safe return home. Make sure your dog is wearing dog tags. Terrified animals could end up miles from home. Have a recent picture of them ready in case it is necessary for distribution and never leave your dog outside. Even if your yard is fenced in, dogs may still try to escape and could become injured in the process. Before the fireworks kick off, many of us will be partaking in plenty of great food. As we dig in, be cognizant of proper food preparation and storage. Be sure those burgers are cooked thoroughly to temps that will kill illness-causing bacteria and keep the picnic foods like potato salad cool to avoid spoiling. And remember, when in doubt, throw it out. As we look towards the coming days of friends, family, food and fireworks, have fun, but do it safely. Happy 4 th!

There is a quote floating around the Internet that talks about the impact that people have on your life. The message indicates that every person, independent of the length of time that they are with you, serves a purpose. That every individual, for that time, is an important character in that chapter of your story. It says that people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. I believe this is true. REASON PEOPLE There are plenty of people that have come into my life for a reason. Traci Maurer, an instructor at Bethany College, showed me that my best was something that people deserved always, even when "half-assed" (her words, not mine) would probably still be sufficient. I recall her giving me a B on an assignment that was visibly superior to my peers work ...she told me that she knew I could do better than what I turned in and while it might have been an A for someone else, that it was just a B for me. As angry as I was that day, it is a conversation that I will never forget. That assignment lowered my average in the course and cost me from graduating with honors. Lesson learned professor Maurer. Lesson learned. I became friends in college with a guy who was in almost all of my classes. We got stuck sitting next to each other on a plane to a conference in Dallas, TX and the rest was history. His friendship, which has faded as life and time and distance took their toll, was something I sincerely needed. I was struggling at the time, something not unheard of when you're figuring out who you are and where you are going when you're in your early 20s. He taught me to not care what other people thought about me, that sometimes you need to cut loose and have a little fun, what I deserved from my own relationships and friendships and he introduced me to the Clarks. So Brian Geatano, thanks... Most recently, I met a man who quickly became one of my most trusted confidants. Since he lives far away, our time face to face has been limited. A dinner here or there while he is passing through town on business. But the hours of conversation have taught me more lessons in a short period of time than many get in a lifetime. We've debated religion and discussed relationships and family and careers. Andy Hinkley came into my life for a reason, just when I needed him most. He taught me that it's ok to think differently and that you need to surround yourself with people who "get you". Andy gets me. And I am thankful. Reason people teach you must needed lessons that without them specifically you might not discover. SEASON PEOPLE There are some people that come into your life for a season. A person who in the movie of your life has a significant role for at least part of your story. There are lots of seasonal people that I could mention that have impacted me positively (and negatively). Seasons, like chapters in a book, are defined by time. It could be time at a job or in school or living in a certain place. Season people are easy to spot...they blow in and out of your life depending on circumstance. I worked in the pharmaceutical industry for nearly 10 years. This season brought into my life many people who had impact. Rick Ferguson, who taught me that if I wasn't making people mad that I wasn't working hard enough, Kim Foster, who was my good cop, in our good cop/bad cop scenarios with clients, and Claudia Gironda and Kelly Komorowski, who set the bar with regard to how I wanted to conduct my business shaped my life tremendously. Frank Brawner, my favorite sales partner of all time, made my job fun and I would like to think that my season in his life was also impactful and positive. I was older (and wiser) and Frank was younger and, well, less wise and we shared all kinds of twisted and witty insight into not just how we should approach our business, but how we were conducting our own lives. Frank and I have both since moved on from our days pushing drugs but I am happy that at that time, I had Frank-Furter, drug rep extraordinaire as my counterpart. All of these people, and many more, truly don't know what an important role they played in my life during that season of my professional life. Now my professional season includes former students and interns, an IT guy who has a sick sense of humor and a third floor group of colleagues that keeps things interesting...oh, and a family of Bordas's...I hope this season is a long one as I am sure these people have a lot to add to my experiences. Personally, there have been many people who shared a season of my life. Staci Jones was one of my childhood best friends. We drove around in her vintage purple VW beetle convertible for hours talking about boys and music and where we would go to college. We laughed more than most people probably should about things that were ridiculous and silly and off the wall. We made up our own song lyrics. We worked at Grand Vue Pool. We trick or treated far long after it was age appropriate. We also got arrested. Nothing but a small fine of course. She burnt her eyeball ironing her hair. I will never recall my high school days and not think about Staci Jones. After my divorce, when it was finally time to date again, I went out with a guy who was very important to that season of my life. He let me know it was ok to move forward independent of how damaged your heart was, he taught me to appreciate hockey, he encouraged me to jump out of a plane. He also taught me what I need (and what I don't need) moving forward. He also showed me that there are others who have gone through the same circumstance. Mike Breeden and I commiserated...but we had a ton of fun doing so. Mike's season was one of transition for me, and I wouldn't want to share that period of my life with anyone else. Brian Maddich changed my life. In a good way. Never before, in such a short period of time, has someone impacted me so relevantly. Brian set the bar for honesty and I can without hesitation say that my time being close with him will forever be my benchmark for how I want my future relationships to be. His kindness was unparalleled, the way he treated his friends, unrivaled. Brian opened my eyes to things that I hadn't wanted to look at in years and showed me that you should never, ever settle for less than your dreams. He also introduced me to golf and the jury is still out on whether or not I am thankful for that. Thank you Bri...a million, million times thank you. Seasons aren't always long, but they are significant. LIFETIME PEOPLE Lifetime people are the main characters. These are the people that without them, your life story would forever be changed. I am close with my family. As an only child, you can't help but be. Clearly your family is with you for a lifetime, but I can honestly say that my parents have far exceeded their obligation to me as their daughter. They have always had my back and told me the truth regardless of whether or not it was what I wanted to hear. They have been my best friends and I hope that someday my children will look at me and feel the same way. My lifetime list is long, but there are some that rise above. These are people who came in my life, stayed and that I can count on to be there through the remainder of this story. Jennifer Golden is one of these people. Jennifer is the strongest woman I know. Hands down. Nobody even comes close. My life is forever changed because of her friendship and there is no way I would have navigated the last three years without her. I don't know what or why or how either of us ended up in Marietta, OH but I am so glad that we did. Jennifer Golden is proof that everything happens for a reason. Otherwise how would a gal from Toronto, Canada end up becoming best friends with a girl from Moundsville, WV? Our friendship happened because it was supposed to. Michele Rejonis, Jessie Sutphin, Wendy Clutter. These are the women who I will end up living in a beach house with in Florida someday. The golden girls revisited. Jessie has dibs on being Blanche, however. I'll stick to Sophia. Michele can be Dorothy and Wendy, Rose. I've got it all figured out. These girls, while all came into my life at different times, all have been there for me when others have not been. Personalities...all different, but for me, they all add something that I have needed in my life. There are others, Robb, Mark, Monique...people who you had no idea at the time of your meeting that they would hold such an important place. But they do, and they always have, and you have no doubt that they always will. I am certain that there are many more reason, season, and lifetime people to come into my life. I am so thankful that my eyes are open to the blessings that each deliver to me with their words and their experiences. I can only hope that my presence brings some level of significance to theirs as well. Embrace your friends. Listen to their words. Learn from their teachings. Friends help you to write your story so recognize and appreciate the role they play. I'm happy for the cast of characters that have blessed my life so far and I'm looking forward to seeing how this story ends for all of us.

The Beast of the East, a baseball tournament played at fields around the Ohio Valley, is quickly approaching. The Beast of the East is major attraction to teams all over the East Coast and there have even been teams in Canada to have played in the tournament. The 26th annual tournament is set to be one of the biggest yet with 130+ teams scheduled to play in the Beast. The Beast not only draws a numerous amount of teams, but also college scouts looking to recruit some of the top talent in the tournament. The Beast happens to fall on 4th of July weekend this year, which is a big plus for the city of Wheeling. With the players, coaches, and family members of the team coming to Wheeling, they will also be able to partake in the various 4th of July activities around the area. With the combination of great baseball and fireworks all around the area, it should give Wheeling a good representation to the visiting teams. Overall, the Beast definitely benefits Wheeling. With local hotels, restaurants, etc. booming with the burst of people coming in for the Beast,Wheeling will definitely see an economic growth the remainder of this week into the weekend.

It should come as no surprise that we here at Bordas & Bordas are extreme animal lovers. Many of our attorneys and staff are very active in volunteering for our local animal shelters and we strive to support these worthy organizations any way we can. While checking my social media this weekend I saw that a handful of my friends had recently purchased a puppy. With the summer months being warm it only makes sense to get a puppy now because it is easier to housebreak them in July than in the cold month of December. After looking at all the new puppies, I continued scrolling and saw that the Marshall County Animal Shelter had a variety of dogs both young and old up for adoption. It made me stop and wonder where my friends had gotten their new furry friends and whether or not they supported the local animal shelter. I myself have made the mistake of finding my dog through the internet, which is not always the most reliable source because many online animals do come from puppy mills. According to the Humane Society, there are about 10,000 puppy mills in the United States with about 2.4 million puppy mill puppies being sold each year. Comparing that to the 3 million innocent animal shelter dogs and cats that are euthanized each year makes me wonder why people choose to purchase from a website or pet store instead of checking the local animal shelter first. The answer being a variety of things like the breed a buyer is looking for, the age of the animal, or even the fact that they don't want the new pet to have a bad past. With the second anniversary of my internet purchase coming up, I have to be honest and say that although I love my dog, I wish I would've adopted from my local animal shelter. I recently visited the Marshall County Animal Shelter and the amount of dogs and cats waiting to be adopted was truly heart breaking. If I had more time I would most definitely adopt one and give it a forever home. Many people do not like adopting from an animal shelter because of the history of the dog, but what many look past is the fact that this is the animals second chance and if you show him or her a better life than what they had before they will love you forever. Puppy mill puppies are usually overpriced and come home with various health problems that result in a pricey veterinarian bill; not counting the neutering or spaying operation. By adopting from an animal shelter like Marshall County's, one can adopt a cat for an $85.00 fee and a dog for a $100.00 fee both including vaccinations, a flea treatment, spay/neuter operation, a tattoo ID and knowing in their hearts that they have been rescued. So many pets are unwanted and if we spay and neuter them, we as a country can limit the amount of euthanization. This is why Bordas and Bordas founding partners Jim and Linda Bordas have taken a stand for innocent animals and made a generous contribution to The Tiffany Dlesk Spay-Neuter Clinic. By adopting instead of purchasing from an unknown puppy mill owner, you can be assured that you have saved a life. Remember that our pets may only be a part of our life, but to them we are their whole life. If you're looking for a new furry family member, I encourage you to stop down and check out the adorable dogs and cats available for adoption. The shelter is open Monday-Saturday 11-4 and Sunday 12-4.

On June 19, 2014, a West Virginia State Police Trooper was seriously injured when struck by a hit and run vehicle on the West Virginia turnpike in Southern West Virginia. Since 1999, more than 150 law enforcement officers throughout the United States have been killed after being struck by vehicles along the nation's highways. Between the years of 2003 and 2010, 962 workers were killed while working at a road construction site, with the majority of these fatalities resulting from being struck by a vehicle. Needless to say, hundreds of people, including emergency responders and stranded motorists are killed or injured throughout the United States every year when they're struck by a vehicle after pulling over to the side of the road or highway. On average, these "struck-by" crashes kill one tow-truck driver every six days; 23 highway workers and one law-enforcement officer every month; and five firefighters every year. Move Over Laws have been enacted in all fifty statesrequiring drivers to change lanes and to provide law enforcement officers, emergency personal, tow truck drivers, construction workers and others on roadsides with a safe clearance. The failure to "move over" can result in criminal charges, fines and possible jail time. Ohio's Move Over Law requires drivers to shift over one lane when passing any stationary public service vehicle, emergency vehicle or road service vehicle with flashing lightson the side of the road. If changing lanes safely is not possible, a driver is required to slow down, proceed with caution, watch for objects to appear in the lane of traffic and be prepared to stop. Any person violating Ohio's Move Over Law is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. Violators are fined double the amount of$150 for the first violation (a minor misdemeanor), double the amount of $250 for the same violation within a year of the first, and double the amount of $500 for more than two violations in a year. ? Pennsylvania's Move Over Law or "Steer Clear Law" was originally implemented in 2006 and requires drivers to move over or slow down when they encounter an emergency scene, traffic stop or disabled vehicle. Like Ohio, Pennsylvania requires vehicles approaching or passing an emergency response area to move to a non-adjacent lane, if possible, and if not possible, to pass the area at a careful and prudent reduced speed.An emergency response area is defined to be an area where emergency service responders render emergency assistance on or near a road way or where a police officer is conducting a traffic stop. Emergency service responder is broadly defined to include law enforcement personnel, coroners, firefighters, medical examiners, ambulance personnel, towing and recovery personnel, highway maintenance and construction personnel and hazardous material response team members. Violators are fined $250.00 and if serious injury results are subject to license suspension. ? West Virginia's Move Over Law was originally implemented in 2003 and applies whenever there are law enforcement, emergency vehicles, first responders and tow truck on the side of the road. Drivers are required to proceed with caution and move to a non-adjacent lane if possible when traveling on four-lane highways. On non-divided highways and streets, drivers are directed to reduce their speed to fifteen miles per hour, depending on road conditions if changing lanes would be impossible or unsafe. Violators may be found guilty of a misdemeanor, subjected to a fine of up to $500, in addition to possible jail confinement of up to sixty (60) days. If the violation results in property damage, a sixty (60) day license suspension occurs. The license suspension increased to six (6)months for injury to a person and two (2) years for a death. ?Summer means vacations, increased highway traffic and road construction. It also means an increase in the chances of coming across emergency responders. Slowing down and moving when approaching a disabled vehicle, law enforcement officer or any other first responder may prevent an injury, or possibly even death. Slowing down and moving over will definitely prevent the fines and possible loss of driving privileges described above. We at Bordas & Bordas wish you a safe and happy summer driving season.

Watch this week's episode of the Bordas & Bordas Legal Review in which Jamie and Chris discuss the issue of cell phone privacy and the Supreme Court of the United States' recent decision requiring warrants to be obtained by police before cell phone searches can occur. You'll also learn about the election controversy in Mississippi, in which the establishment GOP, represented by Thad Cochran, fought off a Tea Party challenge from State Legislator, Chris McDaniel. Was there election fraud? You can view the Bordas & Bordas Legal Review locally on Comcast Channel 14 or also online, both streaming and in the archive. The current episode is embedded within this post. Click here to view the program on vimeo, or watch the embedded version if your browser supports it. Click this link to see the WLUTV schedule so you can view a live-stream of WLUTV and check this page for a schedule of when the program airs.

The United States Supreme Court is expected to announce its decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby tomorrow morning. You can read advance analysis of the case at the WVSCBlog at WVSCBlog.com or by following this link the WVSCBlog's coverage: Sunday Prayers Before Monday's Decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. The much-anticipated decision has sweeping implications for religious freedom, abortion, birth control, the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), and the kind of health insurance available to women in the United States

Join Jamie Bordas and guest Chris Regan for another exciting edition of the Bordas & Bordas Legal Review. On this week's show, Jamie Bordas tackles an issue that is certainly one that is "affecting our nation": just exactly who is Chris Regan? Learn about Regan's background and experience and how it allows him to comment knowledgeably on any issue that Jamie raises during the course of the show. The show also covers an issue related to our local area-the verdict in the Craig Tyler Peacock case. Bordas and Regan go over the strategies used by the prosecution and the defense and analyze the verdict thoroughly from a legal perspective. The show also tackles the Washington R*dskins naming controversy currently brought back to the forefront by the Patent and Trademark Office's taking away trademark protection from the NFL team. You can view the Bordas & Bordas Legal Review locally on Comcast Channel 14 or also online, both streaming and in the archive. The current episode is embedded within this post. Click here to view the program on vimeo, or watch the embedded version if your browser supports it. Click this link to see the WLUTV schedule so you can view a live-stream of WLUTV and check this page for a schedule of when the program airs.

The highly-anticipated primary in Mississippi for the Republican Senatorial nomination didn't end the way many expected. But it wasn't just the result (a win for "Gentleman" Thad Cochran), that surprised, it was the methods the mainstream GOP used to claim victory for the six-term Senator. According to widely-publicized reports, Cochran won the GOP nod only by securing the votes of some 35,000 Democrats who were enticed to come out and vote in the Republican primary. And how did that happen? Well, here's one robo-call used by Cochran to help draw Democratic voters to his side: "If we do nothing, tea party candidate Chris McDaniel wins a nd causes even more problems for President Obama," the message continues. "With your help we can stop this. Please commit to voting against tea party candidate Chris McDaniel next Tuesday and say NO to the tea party!" Avoiding "causing problems" for President Obama hasn't been what the Republican party has been all about these past five years (in fact, the Republican Speaker of the house just sued him and other GOP bodies are calling for impeachment) but apparently, that's the message Senator Cochran wanted going out on his behalf. Also looming large in the race is the issue of voter fraud - another big Republican issue we've been hearing about. Apparently, in Mississippi, it is illegal to vote in the Republican primary if you already voted in the Democratic one. But voter rolls seem to show that many of Sen. Cochran's Democratic party supporters did just that: You can see in this image where three voters on just one particular page of the voter roles took "two bites at the apple" to help the establishment candidate win. Listening to conservative stalwart Sean Hannity on the radio yesterday, you could hear the emotion coming through as Hannity repeatedly called the mainstream GOP tactics " despicable," again and again. Hannity pointed out that using Democrats' votes to defeat a conservative candidate, with a healthy dose of voter fraud and the playing of the "race card" were tactics no party should use. Hannity said a conservative could not in good conscience vote for Cochran and McDaniel pointed out that these so-called RINO ("Republican In Name Only") type candidates made true conservatives feel unwelcome being in the GOP at all. He said the whole thing was "unbecoming of the party of Ronald Reagan. Hannity isn't the only conservative who is upset. Look at what dedicated constitutional conservative Mark Levin had to say about the matter: And former Vice-Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin is pressing claims of fraud by the establishment GOP: Of course, this all comes on the heels of well-known RINO Eric Cantor being defeated in a primary in Virginia. Unfortunately for conservatives, the Congress did not get the conservative, tea-party message, and put another moderate, compromising candidate in the Republican Majority Leader position. Establishment Republican Kevin McCarthy has shown to have little or no fire on conservative issues like immigration, gun control, abortion or same-sex marriage. One thing is for sure. These types of incidents, where strong conservative candidates are cheated by the Republican party out of their rightful place in leadership are going to continue to rankle conservative and tea-party voters. As Sarah Palin put it: "If Republicans are going to act like Democrats, then what's the use in getting all gung-ho about getting Republicans in there?" Some wonder if perhaps a third party will be needed so that conservatives have candidates who really care about, and are willing to act on, their issues. As Palin points out, establishment Republicans are more compromising conservative principles than they are living them. Radio host Andrew Wilkow - another constitutional conservative, believes that McDaniel should run as an independent and reclaim the seat for the true party: We all have to stay tuned though. McDaniel has refused to concede the race. Perhaps, with skillful lawyering, this conservative aspiring Senator will be able to utilize the civil-justice system to right the wrongs his supporters have identified in the Mississippi election process. That may be the only way for him to take Sen. Cochran's place on the ballot this Fall and give conservatives a reason to come out and vote. Tune into next week's Bordas & Bordas Legal Review where Jamie and I will continue the discussion on this developing political story.

It's a scene we've watched play out hundreds of times on our favorite police drama: someone is arrested for a crime and is then searched. In fact, it's routine procedure in every police department in the country. And it's sensible too. Federal courts have always approved of it. For one thing, conducting an immediate, warrantless search protects police from harm that can be inflicted by any hidden weapons. It also insures that any evidence in the arrestee's possession can be secured and preserved. But now let's add a modern twist. Suppose the arrestee has a cell phone. How far does this power to search go? Can the arresting officer rifle through the call log and the list of names and addresses in the contacts list? What about texts, e-mails and pictures? These were the questions raised in Riley v. California, a case decided yesterday by the Supreme Court of the United States. There were actually two cases heard together, but the more interesting facts come from the Riley case itself. The defendant, Riley, was pulled over for driving with expired license tags. When running Riley's license, it was discovered that his license had been suspended. Riley's car was impounded and then searched, disclosing two handguns located under the hood of the car. Riley was arrested and a personal search was conducted. Police seized a cell phone and found incriminating pictures and videos that tied Riley to an earlier drive-by shooting. It seems to me that a case like this would divide an already divided Supreme Court. Many cases these days are decided on razor-thin votes, with the justices splitting a long well-established ideological lines. But, surprisingly, the Court's decision in this case was unanimously in favor of privacy rights. Chief Justice Roberts, writing for the Court, humorously acknowledged how commonplace cell phones have become: "odern cell phones...are now such a pervasive and insistent part of daily life that the proverbial visitor from Mars might conclude they were an important feature of human anatomy." Roberts also acknowledged that cell phones, especially "smart phones", place "vast quantities of personal information literally in the hands of individuals." Therefore, this case raised far more complicated issues than the run-of-mill search scenario. Two rationales were offered in an effort to justify cell phone searches. First, it was argued that immediate, warrantless searches were necessary to protect arresting officers. The Chief Justice, however, required little effort to dismiss this argument: "Once an officer has secured a phone and eliminated any potential physical threats,...data on the phone can endanger no one." Second, it was argued that it was critical to search cell phones immediately to preserve the integrity of their data. But the Court rejected this argument too, finding that no real risk existed that cell phone data could be lost or corrupted before a proper search warrant could be obtained. The Court spent a considerable amount of time discussing the privacy interests at stake. Cell phones contain vast quantities of private information including financial records, data disclosing our exact physical movements, and "apps" that can reveal intimate details of our interests, activities, and practically any other aspect of our lives. When weighed against the minimal interference with law enforcement, the Court was convinced that the individual's right of privacy should prevail. As the Chief Justice concluded: "Modern cell phones are not just another technological convenience. With all they contain and all they may reveal, they hold for many Americans 'the privacies of life.' ...The fact that technology now allows an individual to carry such information in his hand does not make the information any less worthy of the protection for which the Founders fought. Our answer to the question of what police may do before searching a cell phone seized incident to an arrest is accordingly simple--get a warrant." This case is a big win for privacy rights. No one would suggest that police could rummage through banker's boxes full of documents just because they were in the car when an arrest was made. Cell phones are no different. The fact that all of this data can now fit in the palm of your hand or your back pocket doesn't make it any less worthy of protection. I submit that the justices--conservative and liberal alike--lined up on the same side because protecting cell phone privacy is right as a matter of law and as a matter of common sense. The outcome of this case wasn't just a win for one man. It was a win for all of us.

Although I go to college and am currently interning in the beautiful state of West Virginia, my heart will always have a special place for my hometown of Shadyside, Ohio. The Ohio Valley knows us for our excellent football team, our Tiger pride, and especially our famously known main road, "the loop." Every third weekend in June my hometown shuts down the loop and throws a big party for alumni, residents, and visitors from near and far. Everyone is welcome to walk the loop, where food, craft vendors, activities for children, and more are provided. For those of you who don't know, June is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) month. PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder. It can occur after you have gone through an extreme emotional trauma that involved the threat of injury or death. About 67 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffer from PTSD. My hometown has tried to bring attention to this disorder by starting the "Miles for Mike" 5k Run/Walk in honor of veteran Sgt. Michael Karkowski, who was diagnosed with PTSD and severe depression after returning home from Afghanistan. Sadly, in 2009 he took his own life. His wife and two children started "Miles for Mike" in October 2013 to help bring awareness to this invisible wound. The 5k takes place on the loop and the east side of town, where the terrain is flat so many can easily participate. Unfortunately, I had another commitment the night of the 5k this year, but heard wonderful things about the turnout. After seeing photos of the event on social media, I had goosebumps; to think that my little hometown of 3,800 people made a commitment and came out to support both the Karkowski family and awareness of PSTD is an amazing feeling. Although it is under tragic circumstances, this family has taken the negative and created a positive event in honor of Mike in the hope that they can help prevent another family from going through the same tragedy. As many soldiers continue to return home, it is important that all family members know about and look for the signs of PTSD. Although I love the Shadyside Tigers, it is nice to see Shadyside put on the map for something other than our athletics. It shows that no matter what the situation, we are a tight-knit community. I am positive that "Miles for Mike" will be a successful event, bringing awareness to PTSD for many years to come.