Golden Gate Legal Review publishes commentary and analysis on the constitutional and statutory questions moving through the federal courts and the California legislature — privacy and the Fourth Amendment, housing, criminal justice, immigration, labor, and the law of emerging technology. The Review offers analysis, not legal advice.
The first geofence-warrant case to reach the Supreme Court was decided on June 29, 2026: acquiring a person's Google location data is a Fourth Amendment search, the Court held, leaving the warrant's reasonableness for the Fourth Circuit on remand.
A geofence warrant searches a crowd to find a suspect, inverting probable cause and particularity. How Carpenter, the Chatrie circuit split, and the Supreme Court's June 2026 decision settle whether the acquisition is a search — and what the Court left open.
| Case / Bill Reference | Subject | Status | Last Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatrie v. United States (No. 25-112)U.S. Supreme Court · Argued Apr 27, 2026 | Privacy | DECIDED | 06.29.26 |
| Cal. AB 1157 (Affordable Rent Act)Cal. Assembly · Judiciary Cmte | Housing | FAILED — DIED IN COMMITTEE | 01.31.26 |
| Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act (H.R. 4639)U.S. Congress · H.R. 4639 (118th) | Privacy | PASSED HOUSE 2024 · REINTRODUCED 2026 | 04.17.24 |
Recent
Commentary
Federal Officer Immunity Under Scrutiny at Supreme Court
This week, the legal community closely follows developments at the Supreme Court as it prepares to hear arguments on the critical question of when and whether federal officials…
Ninth Circuit Rules in High-Profile Newsom v. Trump Dispute
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a significant decision on October 23, 2026, in the keenly observed case of Newsom v. Trump. While the specifics of the…
Supreme Court Grants Certiorari on Key Rights Issues
The Supreme Court of the United States recently announced grants of certiorari in three distinct cases, signaling that the upcoming term will feature significant judicial deliberation on critical…
US Judge Halts Administration’s Migrant Fine Policy
On Monday, October 5, 2026, a US District Judge in Boston issued a ruling that temporarily halts the Trump administration’s controversial policy of imposing substantial fines on migrants…