Lebron v. Secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families
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Summary

In this 2013 11th Circuit case, the court upheld preliminary injunction blocking Florida law requiring suspicionless drug testing of TANF applicants. The court found no substantial “special need” to justify the 4th Amendment intrusion.

2013 | Federal Juristiction

Lebron v. Secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families

Keywords drug testing; TANF; 4th Amendment; preliminary injunction; welfare
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Eleventh Circuit Court Decision on Florida's TANF Drug Testing Law

The 2013 Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals decision addressed the constitutionality of a Florida law mandating suspicionless drug testing for applicants of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The court's ruling affirmed a preliminary injunction against the law, citing the absence of a substantial "special need" to override the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. The court determined that the state's interests did not outweigh individual privacy rights in this context.

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Florida Drug Testing Law Challenged

The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2013 ruling, affirmed a preliminary injunction against a Florida statute mandating suspicionless drug testing for applicants of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The court determined that the state failed to demonstrate a sufficient “special need” to override the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

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Florida Drug Testing Lawsuit

A 2013 ruling by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a Florida law that mandated drug testing for people applying for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits. The court decided that the state hadn't shown a strong enough reason to justify this search, which violated the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches. The court found the suspicionless drug testing to be unconstitutional.

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Summary

In 2013, a court in Florida stopped a new law that made people applying for help with money take a drug test. The court said there wasn't a good enough reason to make people take drug tests without first suspecting they were using drugs. This is because of a rule that protects people's privacy.

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Footnotes and Citation

Cite

710 F.3d 1202 (2013)

Highlights