News & Insights

Brandon Essig Quoted in Bloomberg Law Article on SCOTUS Geofence Warrants Case

May 4, 2026

Bloomberg Law recently turned to Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC partner Brandon K. Essig for insights as it previewed oral arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court case Chatrie v. United States. 

The core issue in the case is whether so-called geofence warrants, which require technology companies such as Google to turn over location data transmitted by cellphone users within a defined area, violate the Fourth Amendment. Police have used geofence warrants to solve difficult cases, but civil rights and privacy experts have raised concerns over how broad they can be and questioned their constitutionality. 

Essig, a former federal prosecutor, told Bloomberg Law that the Supreme Court justices must weigh whether individuals have a reduced expectation of privacy regarding geofence warrants because they voluntarily enable location sharing on their devices. He also noted that the justices will want to find a way to allow law enforcement to use this effective tool, while keeping in mind that it is “fairly entrenched” that people don’t automatically lose their Fourth Amendment rights when using everyday technology.

“The tension is real,” said Essig. 

Essig is a partner in Lightfoot’s White-Collar Criminal Defense and Corporate Investigations practice. He represents clients in high-stakes regulatory and enforcement matters.