Supreme Court Signals Support for Police Geofence Warrants
The U.S. Supreme Court appeared inclined to allow police to use geofence warrants, a digital surveillance tool that collects cellphone location history near crime scenes. The ruling, expected later this term, will determine whether police can continue using location-based digital warrants nationwide.
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Okello Chatrie, who pleaded guilty to a 2019 Virginia bank robbery. Geofence warrants create a virtual perimeter around a location and direct tech companies to identify cellphones present during a defined time. The justices appeared to reject the argument that geofence warrants are too broad to comply with the Fourth Amendment. The court's ruling will determine whether police can continue using location-based digital warrants in cases nationwide. Geofence warrants have been used in various cases but have drawn scrutiny from civil liberties groups. The justices may limit the time and geographic scope of such warrants or decline to address whether geofence searches amount to a Fourth Amendment search.
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