Rookie officers suing fellow cops who 'intimidated' them and illegally searched their cellphones

This ironic story from AP should make everyone smile:

An investigation of a rowdy graduation party involving rookie Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police officers unconstitutionally relied on searches of their private cellphones, the union for officers claimed in a lawsuit.

The Port Authority Police Benevolent Association cited what it calls "widespread, ongoing and unconstitutional searches" of private cellphones in a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court. It sought unspecified damages for the handling of the probe, which resulted in the firings of nine officers and the suspensions of several others.

In a release, the union said between 20 to 40 officers had their phones searched by investigators who manipulated them, telling them they were merely "witnesses" as they searched their phones for information including private text messages and photographs.
 

According to the suit, Port Authority investigators intimidated officers into giving up their cellphones by threatening their jobs and making them stand at attention as investigators went through the contents of their phones.

If rookie cops are 'intimidated' by fellow officers, what chance does the average citizen have? 

 The cellphone searches continued for more than a month without a warrant, probable cause or reasonable suspicion with the approval of officials within the bi-state agency, the suit said.
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POLICE_ROWDY_GRADUATION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-05-06-15-58-31

Too bad they didn't use the new ACLU app that helps citizens film police: