“The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Collins v. Commonwealth of Virginia, shines a bright light on the protected right to privacy under the Fourth Amendment,” said Pernell.
The ruling reversed the Virginia Supreme Court decision that held that the automobile exception to the Fourth Amendment justified an officer’s entry on private property to perform a physical search of the petitioner’s tarp-covered motorcycle, without a warrant – the traditional basis of Fourth Amendment protection.
“In defense of the petitioner’s position, I’m grateful to have been part of advancing a constitutional debate that clarifies the scope and application of Fourth Amendment protections of privacy and personal security,” Pernell stated further.
In response to a local Fourth Amendment “right to privacy” issue, the dean’s guest column Facial Recognition – U.S. Constitutional Issues, appeared in the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday, May 24, 2018. The column addresses potential constitutional issues raised by the recently announced intent of the Orlando Police Department to explore a facial recognition system developed by Amazon. View article at this link.
Another recent article written by Pernell, “Racial Justice and Federal Habeas Corpus as Postconviction Relief from State Convictions,” appears in the Winter 2018 issue of the Mercer Law Review.
Pernell has served as interim dean since May 2017. Previously serving as dean from January 2008 through June 2015, he is credited with providing the stability that helped lead to the law school acquiring full accreditation from the American Bar Association in 2009 and full reaccreditation in 2014.