Is a plaintiff's failure to seek a motion to suppress evidence from his personal mobile phone ineffective because his counsel did not seek to suppress the evidence against him?

MultiRegion, United States of America

The following excerpt is from United States v. Lucas, 18cr4224, 21cv937-CAB (S.D. Cal. 2021):

Lucas argues that his counsel was ineffective because he did not move to suppress evidence collected from Lucas's personal mobile phone. [Doc. No. 119 at 4.] Lucas contends the police forced him to unlock his phone with his thumb in violation of his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights and that the evidence should have been suppressed. [Id.] The law concerning the constitutionality of compelled use of biometric information to unlock mobile phones, however, is far from settled today, and was even more unsettled at the time Lucas was arrested. See In re Search Warrant No. 5165, 470 F.Supp.3d 715, 720, 725-26 (E.D. Ky. 2020) (noting that the question of what, if anything, is required of the United States under the Fourth Amendment to compel any individual, whether a target or bystander, to provide biometrics incident to the execution of a search warrant for electronic devices . . . is emerging and entirely unsettled, and that [f]ew courts-none of them federal appellate courts-have addressed [whether] the Fifth Amendment's privilege against self-incrimination applies to compulsory biometric authentication.). In light of the lack of clarity in the law, combined with the other evidence against Lucas, Lucas' counsel's decision not to file a motion to suppress evidence taken from Lucas's mobile phone was not unreasonable. See United States v. Glover, 872 F.3d 625, 633 (D.C. Cir. 2017) (holding that the inquiry for deficient performance of counsel looks at performance as of the time of counsel's conduct' and accordingly does not require counsel to propound vanguard arguments to meet the bare minimum required by the Sixth Amendment.) (citing Maryland v. Kulbicki, 477 U.S. 1, 5 (2015)).

Other Questions


Does counsel's failure to make a motion to exclude the evidence constitute ineffective assistance of counsel in violation of the Sixth Amendment? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
In a motion to reopen, which is based on ineffective assistance of counsel, does the petitioner have to prove that his previous attorney was ineffective in any way? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Can a suppression motion be denied on the grounds that neither severability nor plain view doctrine support denial of the suppression motion? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
In a motion to appeal against a jury verdict in a personal injury case brought by a defendant who failed to raise his objections to the trial judge on the motion, can the appellant appeal to the Court of Appeal to review the motion by the same judge? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
When a motion to dismiss a preliminary injunction has been granted by the Court of Appeal, when the motion is also dismissed by the District Court on the basis of a failure to exhaust tribal remedies, does the motion merge into the final judgment? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Can a motion to suppress evidence obtained with an invalid search warrant be denied if the officers who obtained the evidence had a reasonable belief in its validity? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
In a motion to vacate and remand the convictions for failure to comply with the Jencks Act, is the failure of the evidence sufficient to grant a new trial? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Can a suppression motion be denied on the grounds that neither severability nor plain view doctrine support denial of the suppression motion? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Does the exclusionary rule apply in a motion to suppress evidence in a criminal trial in federal court when the evidence was solely the product of a state investigation? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Is a plaintiff who meets the requirement of indigence for the appointment of counsel in a personal injury case entitled to appoint counsel? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
X



Alexi white


"The most advanced legal research software ever built."

Trusted by top litigators from across North America.