City News ServiceJune 24, 2015
Police say the ruling makes it hard to fight sex trafficking, drug dealing. The U.S. Supreme court recently struck down a Los Angeles ordinance that allowed the police to examine guest registries at hotels and motels anytime during the day or night. The 5-4 decision upheld a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that had set aside the ordinance on grounds that it permitted unreasonable searches. The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office had maintained that some hotels and motels have become havens of prostitution, sex trafficking and drug dealing and that police need the authority to conduct spot checks,