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Docket 19-783

Van Buren v. United States

Nathan Van Buren, a police sergeant, was charged under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act for accessing a law enforcement database to obtain license plate information for an improper personal purpose. The Supreme Court ruled that an individual does not violate the Act simply by accessing information they are authorized to view with an improper motive, but only if they access areas of the computer that are off-limits to them.

Status
Decided
Appeal from
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Decision released
Jun 3, 2021

Briefing

Structured case briefing unavailable

Use the timeline, sources, and primary materials below.

Timeline

Case Accepted
Arguments
Decision ReleasedJun 3, 2021

Sources

Docket-grounded.

Refreshed Mar 31, 2026.

Coverage