Private Email and text messages unrelated to a "crime"

[conflict101]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Multiple states involved

If Law enforcement obtains a warrant to search someone's texts and emails and in that process they stumble upon matters unrelated to the "crime" what do they do with that information. Can they tell everyone about so and so or are they bound to keep that information private...


I have a gf who was in a long distance relationship dating this guy who lived in a different state and he got his computers and phones and other stuff taken in a bust but was not arrested. She is concerned because in a few of the conversations she sent him photos of herself and said she was going to smoke a bowl and discussed other personal information.

Obviously, in order to review this guys texts and email she realizes they may see and read her stuff, she knows that there is nothing she can do and understands that they got to do what they got to do and all but and she does not think they will come after her for smoking a bowl so she just wants to know if law enforcement is obligated to keep her personal information private if it is not related to the reason they are searching and its not also a crime. Thanks.

 

[xylene]

They are going to get federal warrant and the DEA will completely toss her house and when her bowl is found she will go to FEDERAL prison.


Nothing is going to happen

 

[CdwJava]

The cops in some other state are not going to come after a girl for saying she had or was going to smoke some marijuana. It's too petty an issue to waste time on even if the email was actual evidence of her having committed a crime - which, by itself, it isn't.

 

[conflict101]

Lol I agree I told her she worrying for nothing but she said she talked bad about some of her co workers and sent nude photos. She afraid they will try to blackmail her or something I guess. Hypothetically speaking what if it was in fact real juicy info or if she was well known. Can they disclose private emails and texts found thru warrant if theyp are irrelevant to the issue at hand. Got my curiosity now!!!

 

[cyjeff]

Wait.

How old is your friend? How explicit were the pictures?

 

[conflict101]

No worries she is 39. Well considering they were in diff states I'm sure it want pg!!!

 

[davew128]

Wait.

How old is your friend? How explicit were the pictures?

You were supposed to ask that links be provided for us to offer our expert advice on the pictures.

 

[conflict101]

any takers on this? girlfriends eases are somewhat lifted but I think it was actually the DEA who did this and not your local police station? Does that make a difference. I am curious now too myself and you should be too!

 

[CdwJava]

No law enforcement agency - ESPECIALLY the feds - are going to act on a text where someone said they were going to go smoke a bowl. No one is going to care.

Now, if she had said she was going to be loading up 50 kilos of crank and headed for some other state, that might lead to some inquiries. But, smoking a bowl of marijuana? Uh ... no. It wouldn't be worth the time and the effort just to get a subpoena for the phone records and her name and relevant info from the service provider.

 

[conflict101]

Thank you I will relay the information. so basically they would be able to read and see the content of her conversation but to figure out who a third party was they need to do a separate subpoena for the records etc. She is not worried about the smoking bowl thing. It was for other stuff that she revealed in the conversations.

 

[swalsh411]

Such as? Again they are not going to care about petty crimes. But if she said he had to go hide the body or was thinking about killing somebody, they would have to investigate.

 

[conflict101]

Such as? Again they are not going to care about petty crimes. But if she said he had to go hide the body or was thinking about killing somebody, they would have to investigate.

she didn't say spefically but just mentioned some of the people she was discussing in her conversations with dude, knew people who knew the feds....
I think she is just being paranoid for nothing and but now that I think about it, I doubt an investigator going through records would put two and two together anyway since they have their own agenda to pursue. thanks for the responses though I guess you never know when you email or send a text, who will end up with the message one day

Happy new year!