Carpenter V. US (2018)

This Supreme Court case, Carpenter v. United States, centers on whether the government needs a warrant to access cell-site location information (CSLI) from wireless carriers. Chief Justice Roberts delivered the majority opinion, holding that obtaining Carpenter's CSLI was a Fourth Amendment search, requiring a warrant, a view dissenting justices Kennedy, Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch opposed, as they each wrote dissenting opinions. Kennedy's dissent argues against the need for a warrant. Thomas's dissent criticizes the established legal framework. Alito's dissent discusses why the information should be obtainable by a subpoena. Gorsuch's dissent suggests the approach of a Fourth Amendment model based on positive legal rights. Click Here for the opinion.