New Jersey V. T. L. O Case Summary

The New Jersey v. T.L.O case is one of the most controversial cases that has passed the supreme court when it comes to our 4th amendment. No unreasonable Searches and Seizures. This very amendment protects our privacy to our things and our lives, leaving it one of our dearest amendments. The New Jersey v. T.L.O. case started in 1984 but ended in 1985. This case started because of an incident in a New Jersey high school. A teacher had caught T.L.O (Her name was never addressed due to her age) and another girl smoking in the restroom. At the age of fourteen not only was this not allowed on the school grounds but is also illegal. She was escorted to the principals office where she swore she didn't have cigarettes and that she had never even smoked before. The assistant vice principal began to search her bag where he found cigarettes and a lighter, though he had already found the evidence he continued to search the bag, uncovering Marijuana, rolling papers, a large amount of cash in single dollar bills and an index card with the name of students who owed her certain amounts of money. …show more content…
New Jersey countered saying that the cigarettes warranted the assistant vice principal reason to continue his search. The court decided that though the vice principal did indeed step over the line when searching the purse after already finding the incriminating evidence, but if it were not for this he would not have found the drugs. They believed that the rights of the school and the students right to privacy should not overlap but weigh