No. 25-6373

Latonia Smith v. United States

Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-12-15
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: cell-phone-privacy electronic-evidence fourth-amendment riley-precedent search-and-seizure warrant-particularity
Key Terms:
FourthAmendment CriminalProcedure HabeasCorpus Privacy
Latest Conference: 2026-01-16
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether a warrant that fails to specifically describe cell phones as an item to be seized violates the Fourth Amendment's particularity requirement in light of Riley v. California

Question Presented (from Petition)

In Riley v. California, 573 U.S. 373 (2014), this Court established that cell phones require enhanced Fourth Amendment privacy protections. The question presented is whether, consistent with Riley, a warrant that fails to particularly describe cell phones as an item to be seized—only listing “computers” and “electronic data storage devices”— violates the Fourth Amendment.

Docket Entries

2026-01-20
Petition DENIED.
2025-12-31
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/16/2026.
2025-12-22
Waiver of United States of right to respond submitted.
2025-12-22
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2025-12-09
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due January 14, 2026)

Attorneys

Latonia Smith
Justine Mitsuko BonnerFederal Public Defender - District of Oregon, Petitioner
Justine Mitsuko BonnerFederal Public Defender - District of Oregon, Petitioner
United States
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent