Alito '03 strip search case may resurface

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito's remark on the strip search of a 10-year-old girl reportedly could prompt questions in his upcoming Senate hearings.

During a 2003 case, while a member of a three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, he was the only one of the three who thought the strip search of the girl and her mother was legal.

As defense lawyer Andrew Solomon recalled. Alito asked, "Why do you keep bringing up the fact that this case involves the strip search of a 10-year-old child?"

The case is receiving greater scrutiny, the Boston Globe said. A coalition of liberal groups criticized Alito for having "even voted for the strip-search of a 10-year-old girl."

Analysts on both sides agree Alito's strict view on law-and-order cases may be decisive on a Supreme Court that has been narrowly divided on cases involving civil liberties, the death penalty and defendant rights.

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