SCOTUS Opines: Do Cops Need Warrant To See Hotel Records?

In an article published by the conservative Washington Legal Foundation, Perkins Coie partner Eric D. Miller looks at a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, City of Los Angeles v. Patel. The case involved a challenge from a group of hotel owners to a Los Angeles ordinance requiring hotel owners to collect personal information about patrons, including in some cases drivers license and credit card numbers, and turn it over to police on request, without a warrant. The writer, who filed an amicus brief on behalf of Google in support of the respondents, says this ruling could have important consequences for many businesses, and especially for on-line businesses that collect customer information that might be of interest to law enforcement.