Analysis of CSLI methodology, call detail records, and digital forensics—written for criminal defense attorneys and civil litigators navigating complex location evidence.
Two courts have held that ALPR queries are not Fourth Amendment searches — but the judge who decided the bigger of the two cases warned that answer is "not today," not "not ever." A look at United States v. Porter, Schmidt v. City of Norfolk, and what Chatrie signals for where this is headed.
Read ArticleWhen a phone search turns up evidence nobody was looking for, the plain view doctrine applies — but the rules are different on a device than on a passenger seat. The First Circuit's May 2026 decision in United States v. Deschambault, contrasted with the Tenth Circuit's cautionary tale in Carey, shows exactly where the line is drawn.
Read ArticleOn June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court held that obtaining location data from a third party is a Fourth Amendment search — full stop. The Google geofence technique is already gone, but the Court's reasoning reaches every provider. Here is what the decision means for cases involving location evidence.
Read ArticleA decade ago the term was barely known. Today the geofence warrant sits at the center of Fourth Amendment litigation, with the Supreme Court weighing in on Chatrie v. United States. A working guide to how reverse location searches work, where the law stands across circuits, and what defense counsel needs to know now.
Read ArticleCarriers purge the records attorneys care most about first. RTT data lasts 8 days. SMS content lasts 3 to 5. Precise location estimates often just 90. A practical guide to preservation letters, 2703(f) requests, and what to demand before the clock runs out.
Read ArticleCDRs appear in homicides, distracted driving suits, and divorce proceedings alike—yet they are routinely misread. A plain-language guide to what a CDR actually contains, why billing records are not a substitute, where tower selection logic breaks down, and how to read a carrier production without missing the fields that matter.
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