Supreme Court of the United States
Carpenter v. United States
June 29, 2018
Summary
The Court held that the Government’s acquisition of historical cell-site location information (CSLI) constitutes a Fourth Amendment search requiring a warrant supported by probable cause. The Court declined to extend the third-party doctrine from Smith and Miller to CSLI, noting that cell phones are a pervasive part of life and users do not voluntarily share comprehensive location records in the same way they share other business records.
Holding
- Whether the Government's acquisition of Carpenter's cell-site records was a Fourth Amendment search.. The Government's acquisition of Carpenter's cell-site records was a Fourth Amendment search.
- Whether probable cause and a warrant are required.. The Government must generally obtain a warrant supported by probable cause before acquiring historical cell-site records.
Docket 16-402
Cited authorities
- 18 U.S.C. §§924
- 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a)
- 18 U.S.C. §§2703
- 18 U.S.C. § 2711(3)
- CA10
- CA11
- 12 U.S.C. §§3402
- 12 U.S.C. § 3407