The Sarasota Police Department’s search of Christian Ziegler’s phone data amid rape allegations was illegal, a Sarasota judge ruled Monday morning.
In a 46-page ruling passed down early Monday morning, Judge Hunter Carroll said SPD’s three search warrants violated Ziegler’s Fourth Amendment rights. The ruling also states that Florida has a precedent for a court to order law enforcement to destroy all information obtained through the warrants.
“Law enforcement’s actions with respect to these three warrants were patently erroneous and constitutionally intolerable,” Carroll wrote.
In December, details emerged involving rape allegations against Christian, the former chair of the Florida Republican Party, by a woman he’d known for years. The allegation stemmed from a planned three-way sexual encounter between Christian, the alleged victim and Bridget Ziegler — who wasn’t able to attend.
Sarasota police didn’t move forward with filing rape charges against Christian but asked the State Attorney’s Office in January to review a related investigation into potential video voyeurism charges. The SAO announced in March that it wouldn’t move forward with charges.