No. 20-1445

Nathan Ray Foreman v. Texas

Lower Court: Texas
Docketed: 2021-04-15
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: affidavit computer-evidence criminal-procedure evidence-seizure fourth-amendment probable-cause search-and-seizure surveillance-equipment warrant-application
Key Terms:
FourthAmendment CriminalProcedure Privacy
Latest Conference: 2021-05-13
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the decision of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals constitutes an unreasonable application of this Court's clearly established precedent, by inferring facts from a building's description to justify the conclusion that the seizure of computers, not mentioned in the affidavit, containing a surveillance video, did not violate the Fourth Amendment

Question Presented (from Petition)

QUESTION PRESENTED Law enforcement obtained a warrant to search a business. The affidavit in support of the warrant application did not include a request to seize computers. Nor did it describe any facts tending to support even an inference that the business had any surveillance equipment or computers. They seized computers and video surveillance equipment containing a video that was introduced into evidence. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals determined that probable cause existed to seize the computer and surveillance equipment based solely on inferences drawn from the affidavit’s description of the building searched. Based on this Court’s decisions in Nathanson v. United States, 290 US. 31 (1933); Brinegar v. United States, 338 U.S. 160 (1949); Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213 (1983); and United States v. Sokolow, 490 U.S. 1 (1989), the question presented is: Whether the decision of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals constitutes an unreasonable application of this Court’s clearly established precedent, by inferring facts from a building’s description to justify the conclusion that the seizure of computers, not mentioned in the affidavit, containing a surveillance video, did not violate the Fourth Amendment.

Docket Entries

2021-05-17
Petition DENIED.
2021-05-03
Application (20A158) for a stay of mandate, submitted to Justice Alito.
2021-05-03
Application (20A158) denied by Justice Alito.
2021-04-21
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/13/2021.
2021-04-16
Waiver of right of respondent State of Texas to respond filed.
2021-04-13
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due May 17, 2021)

Attorneys

Nathan Foreman
Stanley G. SchneiderSchneider & McKinney, P.C., Petitioner
Stanley G. SchneiderSchneider & McKinney, P.C., Petitioner
State of Texas
Clinton A. MorganHarris County District Attorney's Office, Respondent
Clinton A. MorganHarris County District Attorney's Office, Respondent