(The Indiana Lawyer) – A notebook taken from a vehicle during an investigation of an identity-theft scheme was admissible at trial even though police did not have a search warrant, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled.

Willie J. Harris was convicted in May 2013 after being identified as the ringleader in a three-year conspiracy to commit credit card fraud that involved more than 50 victims and resulted in a pecuniary loss of about $300,000. A northern Indiana jury found him guilty of two counts of fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit fraud with identification documents, three counts of production and trafficking in counterfeit devices (credit card fraud), one count of aggravated identity theft.

On appeal, Harris argued the notebook taken from his vehicle should (More..)

The case is United States of America v. Willie J. Harris