Knock, Announce... But Don't Expect Suppression: Florida Supreme Court Rewrites Search Warrant Law
State v. Times, No. SC2024-0647 (Fla. June 25, 2026) TL;DR In a major shift in Florida search-and-seizure law, the Florida Supreme Court held that evidence will no longer be suppressed solely because officers violate Florida's statutory knock-and-announce requirement while executing a valid search warrant. In doing so, the Court expressly overruled its 2010 decision in State v. Cable, aligning Florida with the United States Supreme Court's decision in Hudson v. Michigan. Why
3 min read
No, the Supreme Court Did Not Ban Geofence Warrants: What It Actually Held—and What It Didn't
Chatrie v. United States, 609 U.S. ___ (2026) TL;DR The Supreme Court held that law enforcement conducts a Fourth Amendment search when it compels Google to disclose a user's historical Location History data through a geofence warrant. The Court concluded that individuals maintain a reasonable expectation of privacy in this highly detailed location information, despite Google's possession of the data. Importantly, however, the Court did not decide whether the geofence warrant
6 min read
When Pepper Spray Becomes Excessive Force: Fifth Circuit Says Distance, Threat, and Restraint Matter
Sanchez v. Nunemaker, No. 25-50596 (5th Cir. June 23, 2026) TL;DR The Fifth Circuit held that a deputy was not entitled to qualified immunity after allegedly deploying a high-velocity pepper spray device directly into the eye of a handcuffed, seat-belted suspect from approximately half the manufacturer's recommended minimum safe distance. Although the suspect had been arrested for serious crimes and remained disruptive, the court emphasized that the constitutional analysis tu
5 min read