Court of Appeal upholds patdown searches in football stadiums

The First Appellate District upheld the right of the 49’ers football team to implement the NFL’s policy of patdown searches of ticketholders. From the decision:

Appellants Daniel and Kathleen Sheehan sued respondent San Francisco 49ers, Ltd. (49ers) for violation of article 1, section 1 of the California Constitution (Privacy Initiative), based on the team’s implementation of a patdown policy mandated by the National Football League (NFL). They challenge the dismissal of their cause following the sustaining of the 49ers’ demurrer without leave to amend. We conclude that the Sheehans cannot demonstrate that they had a reasonable expectation of privacy under the circumstances, and accordingly affirm the judgment.

Read the opinion in Sheehan v. The San Francisco 49ers, Ltd. (July 17, 2007 A114945) here.