The Nation - News from April 2, 1985

The Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that police must adhere to a state law that sets stricter rules for search warrants than the standard set by the U.S. Supreme Court. The state’s high court, in a 5-2 decision, said that the standard set for searches by the U.S. Supreme Court in a 1983 ruling was “unacceptably shapeless and permissive.” The justices also ruled that Massachusetts law, backed by a state constitution older than its federal counterpart, requires stricter rules before police can use a search warrant to investigate an alleged crime.