TRENTON — A state appellate court has ruled that people must allow law enforcement officers access to their cellphones once they receive a warrant.

The ruling issued Thursday means Essex County Sheriff's Officer Robert Andrews would have to hand over passcodes to two iPhones he gave investigators.

Andrews was charged in 2016 with misconduct, hindering and obstruction. Prosecutors say Andrew told a drug dealer he was being monitored by police. Investigators say they found calls between Andrews' phones and the suspects.

Andrews had argued information on his phone could be self-incriminating, violating the Fifth Amendment.

The court said investigators in the case had established probable cause when they obtained warrants to search the phones. Justices concluded there was no basis for offering "greater protections against self-incrimination."

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