United States v. Graham

A plain-English summary from Criminal Defense Resources™, a free resource for pro per/pro se defendants and their families.

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Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Decided: May 31, 2016
Citation: 824 F.3d 421 (4th Cir. 2016) (en banc)
Topics: Cell-Site Location Data (Phone Location Records)Search & Seizure (Fourth Amendment)

What did the court decide?

The full Fourth Circuit held that the government's acquisition of historical cell-site records from a phone company was not a Fourth Amendment search, applying the third-party doctrine.

Why does it matter?

Like Davis, this reflects the law before Carpenter v. United States (2018), which rejected that approach for historical cell-site location records.

Where can I read the full opinion?

Read the full opinion on CourtListener →

Always read the full opinion and check whether later cases have limited or changed it. A summary can leave out important details.

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United States v. Cano (9th Circuit, 2019)

General educational information, not legal advice. Not a law firm.