JAG said I violated his 4th Amendment rights. What say you?

First, great article and I stand behind your decisions and GREAT final outcome. That is what Leaders should do.

There was a great deal of discussion regarding the 4th amendment when I went to Army Senior Leaders Course. A great deal of that was more focused on Soldiers living off base. There was some conversation about hotel parties, which were a huge problem when I went through AIT (Army's MOS schooling). The general consensus was that a Commander can give probable cause and, dependent on circumstance, a First Sergeant who is acting on behalf of the Commander can do so as well. There was a fine line between when that would be, but the given situation would be within that realm. If the MTL had gone without you or without Commanders approval, that would be a hard no. My Drill Sergeants got past that with a blanket order of authorization from the Commander 12 years ago. Don't know if that would still hold up.

Leaders should use tough love, understand the constitution of a person, and when they have been punished enough. If they are worth salvaging, pick them up, dust them off, and send them on their way to redemption.

SMSgt Tony Barnes
Great work 1st Sgt! Lucky? Well - I don't think it was "luck". I do think it was just as you said - keeping the INTENT of the law instead of the LETTER of the law! Yes - maybe (and I say maybe because rather than "unreasonable search without probable cause" I think it was more like a "reasonable search with probable cause") the case would have been different in court, but I think the JAG KNEW they had only a shred of a chance and that the actions you took were the right actions! God Bless you, SIR!