Archive · 17 Jan 2026
Supreme Court to Rule on Geofence Warrants
The Supreme Court will decide if police can use special warrants to collect location data from cellphones to find people near crime scenes.
These warrants, called geofence warrants, gather data on everyone in a specific area over a certain time.
In a case involving a bank robbery in Virginia, police used such a warrant to arrest a man named Okello Chatrie.
Chatrie's lawyers say this violates privacy because it collects data on innocent people too.
Prosecutors argue that people don't have privacy rights because they chose to share their location with Google.
A lower court said the search was wrong but still allowed the evidence.
Another court said these warrants are unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court will now decide if these warrants are legal.
Supreme Court to decide constitutionality of geofence warrants that collect cellphone location data.
Case involves 2019 robbery of Call Federal Credit Union in Virginia.
Police used geofence warrant to arrest Okello Chatrie, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nearly 12 years.
Chatrie's lawyers argue the warrant violates privacy by collecting data on innocent people.
Prosecutors argue no expectation of privacy as Chatrie opted into Google's Location History.
- Who
- Okello Chatrie, Supreme Court, Google
- What
- Constitutionality of geofence warrants
- When
- Case involves 2019 robbery, Supreme Court to decide
- Where
- Suburban Richmond, Virginia
- Why
- To determine if geofence warrants violate the Fourth Amendment
- Case Involved
- 2019 robbery of Call Federal Credit Union
- Defendant
- Okello Chatrie
- Sentence
- Nearly 12 years in prison
- Warrant Type
- Geofence warrant
- Privacy Argument
- Collection of location history without evidence of involvement
- Prosecutors' Argument
- No expectation of privacy due to opting into Google's Location History
- Federal Judge's Decision
- Violation of rights but evidence allowed
- Appeals Court Ruling
- Fractured ruling upholding conviction