Case: Okello T. Chatrie v. United States, No. 25-112
Lower Court: Fourth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-07-30
Status: Granted
Question Presented: 1. Whether the execution of the geofence warrant violated the Fourth Amendment. 2. Whether the exclusionary rule should apply to the evidence derived from the geofence warrant.
On March 9, 2026, a cluster of amicus briefs landed at the Court in Chatrie v. United States, with notable filers including Microsoft Corporation, the Rutherford Institute, the American Center for Law and Justice, and a group of technologists. Several amici filed in support of neither party, suggesting broad institutional interest in shaping the legal framework around geofence warrants without simply endorsing one outcome.
The Court’s two questions present distinct analytical layers. The first asks whether the geofence process itself constitutes a constitutionally valid search under the Fourth Amendment. The second asks whether, even if a violation occurred, the exclusionary rule should apply. The volume of “neither party” amicus filings signals that courts, technologists, and industry actors want doctrinal clarity rather than a narrow ruling tied to these specific facts.