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US Supreme Court Rejects Florida Drug Testing Appeal

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #831)
Drug War Issues

The US Supreme Court Monday declined to review a lower court ruling that found Florida Gov. Rick Scott's (R) plan to randomly drug test state employees unconstitutional.

US Supreme Court
The decision by the nation's highest court means that the ruling by the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals finding the plan unconstitutional stands.

The drug test-happy governor had issued an executive order in March 2011 directing all state agencies to drug test new hires and randomly test current employees. But that order was challenged by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 79, representing state workers.

The union argued that random drug testing was a violation of the Fourth Amendment's proscription against unreasonable searches and seizures. In its decision, the 11th Circuit generally agreed with the union, finding the suspicionless drug tests unconstitutional, but also ordered the state and the union to determine which state employees could be subjected to such testing.

The legal proscription on drug testing state employees is not complete. There are exceptions for some public safety and law enforcement workers.

But Gov. Scott's ambitious plan to foist drug testing on all state workers without cause has been squashed.

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

kickback (not verified)

Governor Rick Scott`s political career has become the equivalent of a wet popsicle . Does his wife profit from " drug test companies " ? Look into it . Go to Vegas , Adelson your $$$ up , get Koch`ed up and take a leak into a cup [ for testing ] . That would be the end of these clowns, any day . The Florida Governor sure does have a " white " scalp to be living in Florida . Vampire . Feed on the blood of the poor . Put your thinking cap on .

Tue, 04/22/2014 - 2:22am Permalink
Anonymous510000 (not verified)

     Drug testing. They want your excrement, your urine. They love it. They want to play with it, and see how they can determine your future, and maybe ruin it. See if hey can attack you for what you eat. Or don't eat. From GMO's to Nukes, these sociopathic excrementaphiles want power. They want control. Why is this tyranny acceptable? Excrementaphilia is a pathology, not something to force others to participate in. For that matter, WHO TESTS THE TESTERS? Why isn't the President first on the list of people that 'need' to be tested? If he doesn't need this 'service', then why does anyone else? Someday, this sickening practice will be considered an example of the tyranny, barbarity and crudeness of the Age of Monsanto.

Tue, 04/22/2014 - 1:45pm Permalink
Art Golden (not verified)

Heopfully he'll be thrown out of office at some point.  Cretinous asshole.

Thu, 04/24/2014 - 5:20pm Permalink

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