High Court Oks search of policeman’s sexy text messages

The Supreme Court this morning upheld the search of a police officer's personal, sometimes sexually explicit, messages on a government-owned pager, saying it did not violate his constitutional rights.

The court was unanimous in reversing a federal appeals court ruling that sided with the Ontario, Calif., SWAT team officer.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the court that the officer, Sgt. Jeff Quon, could not assume "that his messages were in all circumstances immune from scrutiny."

But Kennedy said the court purposely avoided a broader ruling about employees' expectations of privacy when u...