Topic

Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure

Every decision we've filed under Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. KYLEAR WILLIAMS

The Tenth Circuit reversed a conviction, ruling that the Fourth Amendment does not permit a protective sweep of a vehicle based solely on a passenger's romantic relationship with an arrested driver. The court held that the government's reliance on this association constituted an impermissible criminality-by-association test rather than a valid totality-of-circumstances analysis for reasonable suspicion.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Fifth Amendment - Self-Incrimination Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure

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Mar 17 2026

5th Cir. 25-60163 Panel Decision

United States of America Plaintiff— v. Elijah Porter Defendant—

The Fifth Circuit affirmed the denial of Elijah Porter's motion to suppress evidence, holding that license plate reader data does not constitute a Fourth Amendment search. The court further ruled that the traffic stop was supported by reasonable suspicion and that the firearm was lawfully seized under the plain view doctrine.

Constitutional Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Second Amendment

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Mar 17 2026

7th Cir. 24-2892 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. FLOYD L. SUGGS

The Seventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to suppress evidence obtained from a search warrant that mistakenly described a multi-unit dwelling as a single-family home. The court held that the warrant was valid because the investigating officer reasonably believed the address was a single unit, and even if the warrant were defective, the search was justified by exigent circumstances and the plain-view doctrine.

Criminal Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Supervised Release

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Mar 13 2026

11th Cir. 3:22-cr-00079-LAB-JBT-1 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JESSE RANCE MOORE

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Jesse Moore's conviction for conspiracy to commit robbery and firearm offenses, rejecting his challenge to the denial of his motion to suppress. The court held that the initial police encounter was a consensual exchange and that the subsequent search of the property fell under the open fields doctrine.

Criminal Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Robbery & Extortion

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Mar 10 2026

4th Cir. 24-4546 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. NICO AARON LOWERS

The Fourth Circuit held that individuals maintain a reasonable expectation of privacy in files stored in private cloud-based accounts, requiring law enforcement to obtain a warrant before searching them. Although the court found the warrantless search of the defendant's Google Drive files unconstitutional, it affirmed the conviction because the evidence was sufficiently attenuated from the illegal search.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Supervised Release

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Mar 9 2026

3rd Cir. 25-1029 Panel Decision

THE ESTATE OF MICHAEL TRISTIAN PAONE, DECEASED, BY AND THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATORS OF THE ESTATE, MICHAEL PAONE, JR. AND LISA PAONE; LISA PAONE; JULIANA PAONE v. TOWNSHIP OF PLYM...

The Third Circuit affirmed summary judgment for police officers who used deadly force against a man with a mental health crisis holding a pellet gun. The court held that the officers' perception of an imminent threat made their use of force objectively reasonable under the Fourth Amendment.

Constitutional Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Qualified Immunity

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Mar 5 2026

10th Cir. 4:17-CV-00367-GKF-CDL Panel Decision

DEANDRE BETHEL v. DAVID LOUTHAN

The Tenth Circuit denied Deandre Bethel a certificate of appealability because his attempt to add a Fourth Amendment claim via a Rule 60(b) motion constituted an unauthorized second or successive habeas petition. The court held that the motion substantively challenged the validity of his conviction rather than addressing a procedural defect in the habeas proceedings themselves.

Constitutional Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Habeas Corpus - State Prisoner (28 USC 2254)

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Mar 4 2026

6th Cir. 25-5800 Published

Weatherholt v. Crockett County, TN School Board

The Sixth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of the Weatherholts' Fourth Amendment excessive force claim, ruling that their complaint failed to plausibly allege a constitutional violation. The court held that the plaintiffs' bare assertions of force were insufficient to survive a motion to dismiss, particularly given video evidence that contradicted their version of events.

Constitutional Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure

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Mar 3 2026

6th Cir. 24-5859 Published

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. AMADOR MAGALLON GUERRERO

The Sixth Circuit affirmed Amador Magallon Guerrero's convictions for drug trafficking and money laundering, rejecting his claims that his confession and cellphone searches violated the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments. The court held that Guerrero failed to prove his statements were coerced or that his consent to search his phones was involuntary.

Constitutional Fifth Amendment - Self-Incrimination Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Habeas Corpus - General (28 USC 2241)

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Mar 3 2026

3rd Cir. 25-2075 Panel Decision

LOUIS G. DOVER v. JOHN DOE, SUPERVISOR; SARAH COTHREN; DAVID TERAN

The Third Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a plaintiff's Bivens claim alleging Fourth Amendment violations by National Park Service Rangers. The court held that the existence of an alternative administrative remedial structure constitutes a special factor counseling hesitation, precluding the recognition of a new Bivens remedy in this context.

Constitutional Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure

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