United States v. Knotts
A plain-English summary from Criminal Defense Resources™, a free resource for pro per/pro se defendants and their families.
General educational information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. This page describes what a court decided in general terms. It does not tell you what to do in any case.
- Court
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Decided
- Citation
- 460 U.S. 276 (1983)
What did the court decide?
The Court held that using a radio beeper to follow a car on public roads was not a Fourth Amendment search, because a person traveling on public roads has no reasonable expectation of privacy in movements others could see.
Why does it matter?
An early tracking case. Later cases such as United States v. Jones and Carpenter v. United States took a closer look at longer-term and digital tracking.
Where can I read the full opinion?
Read the full opinion on Cornell Law School LII →
Always read the full opinion and check whether later cases have limited or changed it. A summary can leave out important details.
Related rulings
General educational information, not legal advice. Not a law firm.