Most Americans cannot list the 10 amendments that make up the Bill of Rights. But they inherently know when their rights are being violated.

And two cases — one now before the U.S. Supreme Court and the other recently decided by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court — threaten to make the Fourth Amendment, which protects Americans against unreasonable searches and seizures, all but moot.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court held a hearing to determine whether police can search people’s cellphones without a warrant. Police already are allowed to look through a person’s purse or wallet when arrested. But searching cellphones takes this in an entirely new direction because cellphones contain vast amounts of personal information.

While police have used cellphone records to arrest drug dealers and killers, Justice Elena Kagan suggested that a person could be arrested for driving without a seat belt, and the police could search that person’s cellphone and look at every single detail of the person’s life.

In the other case, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled 4-2 that police no longer need to obtain a warrant to search a person’s car.

The split decision allows police to search cars if they have “probable cause” — which is to say police believe the driver is transporting illegal goods or has been involved in a crime.

Citing federal statutes, Justice Seamus McCafferty said probable cause is sufficient protection for drivers.

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Prior to the ruling, if police had reason to suspect a driver, they were required to obtain a search warrant.

In the pre-digital age, that took time. But in today’s world, police can request a search warrant electronically. What once took hours now takes but a few minutes.

Requiring police to obtain a warrant meant that a neutral third party — a district judge — would determine if a search was justified rather than allowing police to simply make that decision on their own.

It’s worth noting that police have always been allowed to search a car without a warrant if the driver consented.

The Pennsylvania ruling takes on even greater implications, given legislation that is now before the state House. Legislation proposed by state Rep. Kate Harper, R-Montgomery, would make it illegal for vehicles to have secret compartments. Although secret compartments can be used to smuggle guns and drugs, the law would permit police to arrest a driver and impound the car even if the secret compartment is empty. The proposal carries a 5-year prison sentence and $10,000 fine.

These provisions, both new and proposed, eviscerate the Fourth Amendment. They create a legal landscape wherein a motorist stopped for a taillight malfunction could end up in jail for five years.

Given today’s technology, there is no reason to give police such authority. A judge is a phone call or email away.

Requiring police to obtain a warrant maintains the checks and balances the Founders sought to create when they wrote the Bill of Rights.