LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in a case surrounding two Black teenagers who were photographed and fingerprinted by Grand Rapids police but never charged with a crime.
The purpose is to find out if their actions violated the fourth amendment ban on unreasonable searches and seizures. The Michigan appeals court in 2019 ruled in favor of the officers in civil lawsuits, based on other binding legal decisions.
The incidents happened in 2011 and 2012.
Denishio Johnson was stopped after cutting through the parking lot of a fitness club where there had been car thefts.
In the other case, Keyon Harrison was stopped after handing a model train to someone.
He said it was part of a school project.
The lawsuits were filed before a policy change in 2015.
Grand Rapids police said fingerprints would be taken from people without ID only if their behavior was highly suspicious.
