[ktsmith]

It's doubtful the evidence was illegally obtained. The warrant was probably for the hardware, and was probably overly broad allowing for the removal of more than was necessary. That's been the routine since at least the mid 90s. There are plenty of cases where the FBI has walked into a data center shown a warrant and walked out with complete racks of equipment most unrelated to their actual search because the warrant allowed them to do so.

[WettowelReactor]

If the warrant allows them to do so then yes it is legal although we should hold judges accountable. Voting in responsible judges is more important than legislatures IMHO as they tend to have a more direct impact on our personal lives. That being said I just see a lot of comments mentioning the imperative to preserve evidence and chain of custody which is important but completely subordinate to staying within the bounds of the warrant. Does anyone here know if warrants can be obtained through FOIA requests? I would sure love to see the scope of the one used in this case.

[ktsmith]

You'll get no argument from me about holding judges accountable it's an interesting issue though. Was the warrant issued by a state or federal judge? Federal judges are appointed for life and not elected so the people can't exactly kick them out of office during the next election.