檢視行動電話內數位資訊於我國及美國刑事偵查之合法性探討──以附帶搜索為中心

The Legality of Searching Digital Data Stored in Mobile Phone Incident to Arrest

我國刑事訴訟法針對搜索採取令狀原則，原則上偵查機關必須先向法院聲請核發令狀後，方得為搜索。僅在例外情形方允許無令狀搜索，其中一種無令狀搜索即為「附帶搜索」。倘若執法人員拘捕犯罪嫌疑人，在其身上搜得行動電話，是否可以基於附帶搜索之規定，進一步檢視行動電話內之數位資訊？本文認為，附帶搜索必須受到其立法目的之限制，也就是「保護執法人員安全」以及「保全證據」兩者，因此在個案中，執法人員必須合理懷疑被拘捕者在立即可控制之範圍內存有武器或有湮滅證據之可能，方得為合法之附帶搜索。行動電話內之數位資訊並無傷害執法人員之可能，亦無保全證據之需要，無從形成合理懷疑，故不得對之為附帶搜索。倘若欲檢視行動電話內之數位資訊，必須先向法院聲請核發令狀後，始得為之。在搜索票之記載上，本文認為仍有特定明確原則之適用。執行搜索行動電話內之數位資訊時，本文認為應排除一目瞭然法則之適用。

According to the Code of Criminal Procedure, the regulation of search adopts the warrant requirement, a search warrant is required to conduct a search. Only in exceptional cases allow warrantless search, a type of the warrantless search is “search incident to arrest”. An accused or a suspect arrested with or without a warrant or detained by a public prosecutor, public prosecuting affairs official, judicial police officer, or judicial policeman, may be searched without a search warrant. The same shall apply to the items he is carrying, the transportation vehicle he is using, and the premises within his immediate control. However, if a police arrests a suspect and find a mobile phone from the items he is carrying, is it legal that the police reading the information stored in the mobile phone by the regulation of search incident to arrest? Search incident to arrest must be limited by its purpose, include “the protection of the police’s personal safety” and “the preservation of evidence”. So, the police cannot search incident to arrest without reasonable doubt that the suspects may have weapon or destroy evidence. In the case of reading the information stored in the mobile phone, the digital data has no danger to the safety of the police’s personal safety, and there is no need to read the information to preserve criminal evidence, so the police cannot search the information stored in the mobile phone incident to arrest. If the police intend to read the information stored in the mobile phone, the police have to obtain a warrant issued by a judge. According to the particularity requirement, the warrant should particularly describe the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. This requirement also applies in the case of searching digital data stored in the mobile phone. And the plain view doctrine should not used in the case of searching digital data stored in the mobile phone.