Pennsylvania v. Cruttenden (majority)
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The issue in this discretionary appeal was whether a police officer violates the Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Act ("Wiretap Act" or "Act") when he communicates directly with a suspect via cell phone text messages while pretending to be the suspect's accomplice. "Because an officer who directly communicates with another person by text-messaging is not eavesdropping or listening in on a conversation, but is himself engaging in the communication, and because for purposes of the Wiretap Act, it is irrelevant that an officer intentionally misrepresents his identity to the person with whom he communicates," the Supreme Court held that no violation of the Wiretap Act occurred in this case.
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