Policy and procedure, search, reasonable suspicion, due process, evidence, Fourth Amendment.

Julie Giles appeals a lower court's ruling concerning her challenge to a Bonneville County policy that requires strip searches of all individuals detained at the county jail. Giles was arrested on a minor traffic violation and detained at the county jail. While in the custody of the sheriff's department, she was ordered to submit to a strip search. The search revealed no contraband, and Giles later was released on bond. Giles subsequently filed suit against the county, claiming its blanket search policy violated the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. County officials responded with a motion for summary judgment. The county argued the strip-search policy was needed to maintain security at the jail.

A U.S. District Court granted the county's motion for summary judgment and dismissed the case. Giles now appeals.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the ruling of the district court. The appeals court ruled the county's policy of strip searching all detained individuals in the county jail violated the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The appeals court ruled that the county's blanket policy failed to provide for reasonable suspicion. The court also noted that the county failed to show why the strip-search policy was necessary.