Warrants for phone searches
David Leon Riley v. California
In brief
The Court overturned the California appeals court’s ruling and said police generally need a warrant to search digital information on a phone seized during an arrest.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided 9-0 · June 25, 2014 · Opinion by Chief Justice Roberts
- What it’s about
- After police arrested David Riley, they searched digital information on his cell phone without a warrant, and Riley argued that the search violated the Fourth Amendment.
- Who it affects
- The ruling generally requires police to get a warrant before searching digital information on a phone seized from someone who has been arrested.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Supreme Court ruled that police generally need a warrant to search digital information on a phone seized during an arrest, overturned the California appeals court’s ruling, and sent Riley’s case back to that court (remanded).
The dispute asked how the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches applies to digital information on a cell phone after an arrest.
Question presented
Was the evidence admitted at trial from Riley's cell phone discovered through a search that violated his Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches?
What the Court decided
Holding
The police generally may not, without a warrant, search digital information on a cell phone seized from an individual who has been arrested. No. 13–132, reversed and remanded
- Result
- Reversed
The vote
- Joined the judgment
- Concurred in a separate opinion
- Wrote an opinion
- Majority · 8joined the Court's opinion
- Concurring · 1agreed with the result, wrote separately
- Alitowrote separately
What's next
Riley’s case returns to the California appeals court for further proceedings under the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Documents
Opinions
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Impact Analysis
AI analysis generated: Opinion Summary
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New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Opinion added: Riley
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.