U.S. Supreme Court Reviews Constitutionality of Geofence Warrants in Okello Chatrie Case

The U.S. Supreme Court is examining the constitutionality of geofence warrants in the case of Okello Chatrie. Chatrie, sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison for a 2019 armed robbery in Virginia (involving the theft of $195,000), pleaded guilty but is challenging the legality of the procedure. Police used surveillance footage showing an individual near a credit union, then requested anonymized location data from Google around the crime scene. Google provided information on three individuals, including Chatrie, leading to a search of his home where evidence (a weapon, $100,000 in cash, and incriminating notes) was found. The appeal argues that these warrants violate the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches.