Can police obtain your cell phone records without a warrant?

Usually overshadowed by the First Amendment, the Fourth Amendment is having its day in court. On November 29, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that will decide whether police need a warrant to obtain suspects’ data from cell phone providers.

Digital evidence and the Fourth Amendment

Cell phone data is becoming increasingly significant as evidence in criminal trials. Text messages have supported manslaughter charges, cell phone photos have been used against poachers, and in the current Supreme Court case, call records placed a suspect near the scene of a series of armed robberies.