Did the Supreme Court just jump the shark?

In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court has upheld strip searches – for literally any arrest.  Forgot to pay a parking fine?  Caught jay-walking?  Maybe the officer just says you were hostile and resisting a lawful order!

It doesn’t matter how trivial the offense is, and it doesn’t matter if the police have no reason to actually suspect that you’re hiding contraband.

The worst part of this ruling isn’t just the mockery the court makes of American civil rights, but rather how the ruling directly undermines the authority of the courts:

In addressing this type of  constitutional claim courts must defer to the judgment of correctional officials unless the record contains substantial evidence showing their policies are an unnecessary or unjustified response to problems of jail security.

Essentially, the Supreme Court of Justice in the United States finds itself powerless to second-guess the actions of correctional officers unless the abused prisoners can deliver evidence that they will surely be prevented from collecting in the first place.

So who can regulate the actions of correctional officers in this land of law and justice?

Apparently, no one.

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