Should Police Wipe a Criminal’s Cellphone Before Returning It?–U.S. v. Stathas
Summary
An analysis of U.S. v. Stathas (7th Cir., Oct. 13, 2026) regarding whether police may wipe data from a seized cellphone before returning it. The Seventh Circuit upheld the district court’s decision to delete data on the phone to remove criminal or harmful material, noting explicit messages and personal information as justification. The piece situates the ruling within broader privacy concerns raised by Riley v. California and discusses the implications for data forfeiture and civil claims.