Feds seek rehearing of appeals court ruling that said baseball drug list seizure was illegal

Feds seek rehearing of baseball drug list ruling

SAN FRANCISCO — Federal officials are asking for a rehearing of an appeals court decision that said the government illegally seized drug-testing samples and records of baseball players who allegedly tested positive for steroids.

Officials say their investigations have been hampered by the ruling, which established new rules for computer searches by federal agents.

In a court filing Monday, the government asked the 9th U.S. Court of Appeals to take the unprecedented step of having all 27 of its judges reconsider the case.

A panel of 11 9th Circuit judges ruled in August that investigators trampled on protections against unreasonable searches when they seized the records and samples of 104 players who allegedly tested positive during baseball’s 2003 survey.

Investigators initially obtained warrants for only the test results of 10 players.