No. 24-922

James Harper v. Michael Faulkender, Acting Commissioner of Internal Revenue Service, et al.

Lower Court: First Circuit
Docketed: 2025-02-26
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Amici (12)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) Experienced Counsel
Tags: cryptocurrency-records fourth-amendment privacy-rights surveillance-tracking third-party-doctrine warrantless-search
Key Terms:
AdministrativeLaw FourthAmendment FifthAmendment CriminalProcedure Privacy JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2025-06-26 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Does the Fourth Amendment permit warrantless searches of customer records held by third-party service providers if the records are contractually owned by the customer, or if those records enable surveillance of future behavior?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

The Internal Revenue Service used a subpoena to obtain without a warrant from a cryptocurrency exchange three years of transaction records concerning over 14,000 of the exchange’s customers, including Petitioner James Harper’s records. Mr. Harper’s contract with the exchange made clear that the records belonged to him and that the exchange would protect his privacy. The transaction records at issue opened an especially intimate window into Harper’s life because they not only revealed his historical cryptocurrency transactions but also enabled tracking of his transactions into the future. The court below relied on the third-party doctrine to hold that IRS’s warrantless search and seizure of Harper’s financial records did not violate the Fourth Amendment. The question presented is: Does the Fourth Amendment permit warrantless searches of customer records held by third-party service providers if the records are contractually owned by the customer, or if those records enable surveillance of future behavior? If not, does the third-party doctrine need to be discarded or modified to prevent such searches?

Docket Entries

2025-06-30
Petition DENIED.
2025-06-30
Motion for leave to file amicus brief filed by Professor Adam J. MacLeod GRANTED.
2025-06-12
2025-06-10
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/26/2025.
2025-06-09
Waiver of the 14-day waiting period for the distribution of the petition pursuant to Rule 15.5 filed by petitioner.
2025-05-30
Brief of respondents Micheal Faulkender, Acting Commissioner of Internal Revenue Service, et al. in opposition filed
2025-05-30
Brief of respondent Federal Parties in opposition filed.
2025-05-30
Brief of Federal Parties in opposition submitted.
2025-04-30
2025-04-30
Amicus brief of Coinbase Inc. submitted.
2025-04-30
Amicus brief of Project for Privacy & Surveillance Accountability submitted.
2025-04-30
Brief amicus curiae of Project for Privacy & Surveillance Accountability filed.
2025-04-04
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including May 30, 2025.
2025-04-03
Motion to extend the time to file a response from April 30, 2025 to May 30, 2025, submitted to The Clerk.
2025-04-03
Motion of Federal Parties for an extension of time submitted.
2025-03-31
Response Requested. (Due April 30, 2025)
2025-03-28
2025-03-28
2025-03-28
2025-03-28
2025-03-28
Brief amici curiae of State of West Virginia, et al. filed.
2025-03-28
Amicus brief of NetChoice submitted.
2025-03-28
Amicus brief of DeFi Education Fund submitted.
2025-03-28
Amicus brief of Cato Institute submitted.
2025-03-28
Amicus brief of X Corp. submitted.
2025-03-28
Amicus brief of Professor Adam J. MacLeod submitted.
2025-03-28
Amicus brief of Americans for Prosperity Foundation submitted.
2025-03-28
Amicus brief of State of West Virginia and 4 Other States submitted.
2025-03-28
2025-03-28
2025-03-28
Motion for leave to file amicus brief filed by Professor Adam J. MacLeod.
2025-03-27
2025-03-27
Amicus brief of Kansas Justice Institute, Goldwater Institute and American Dream Legal submitted.
2025-03-26
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/17/2025.
2025-03-20
Waiver of right of respondent Federal Parties to respond filed.
2025-02-21
2024-12-05
Application (24A549) granted by Justice Jackson extending the time to file until February 21, 2025.
2024-12-02
Application (24A549) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from December 23, 2024 to February 21, 2025, submitted to Justice Jackson.

Attorneys

Americans for Prosperity Foundation
Cynthia Fleming CrawfordAmericans for Prosperity Foundation, Amicus
Cynthia Fleming CrawfordAmericans for Prosperity Foundation, Amicus
Cato Institute
Thomas Arthur BerryCato Institute, Amicus
Thomas Arthur BerryCato Institute, Amicus
Coinbase Inc.
Noel John FranciscoJones Day, Amicus
Noel John FranciscoJones Day, Amicus
DeFi Education Fund
Cameron Thomas NorrisConsovoy McCarthy PLLC, Amicus
Cameron Thomas NorrisConsovoy McCarthy PLLC, Amicus
Federal Parties
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent
Sarah M. HarrisActing Solicitor General, Respondent
James Harper
Kannon K. ShanmugamPaul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Petitioner
Sheng Tao LiNew Civil Liberties Alliance, Petitioner
John Julian VecchioneThe New Civil Liberties Alliance, Petitioner
John Julian VecchioneThe New Civil Liberties Alliance, Petitioner
Kannon K. ShanmugamPaul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Petitioner
Markham Sterling ChenowethNew Civil Liberties Alliance, Petitioner
Markham Sterling ChenowethNew Civil Liberties Alliance, Petitioner
Kansas Justice Institute, Goldwater Institute and American Dream Legal
Samuel Guy MacRobertsKansas Justice Institute, Amicus
Samuel Guy MacRobertsKansas Justice Institute, Amicus
NetChoice
Scott A. KellerLehotsky Keller Cohn LLP, Amicus
Scott A. KellerLehotsky Keller Cohn LLP, Amicus
Professor Adam J. MacLeod
Aliceson Kristina LittmanWillkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Amicus
Aliceson Kristina LittmanWillkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Amicus
Project for Privacy & Surveillance Accountability
Gene Clayton SchaerrSchaerr | Jaffe, Amicus
Gene Clayton SchaerrSchaerr | Jaffe, Amicus
State of West Virginia and 4 Other States
Michael Ray WilliamsOffice of the West Virginia Attorney General, Amicus
Michael Ray WilliamsOffice of the West Virginia Attorney General, Amicus
X Corp.
Mark MillerPacific Legal Foundation, Amicus
Mark MillerPacific Legal Foundation, Amicus