Federal judge upholds ruling that 'tower dump' warrants are unconstitutional

A federal judge in Mississippi ruled on Wednesday that "tower dump" warrants are unconstitutional. 

In a "tower dump" warrant, law enforcement requests a cell phone company turn over time and location data for all mobile devices connected to specific cell towers during a specified period, The Hill reported. 

Last year, law enforcement sought approval for several of these warrants as part of an investigation into gang-related activity in the area of Jackson, Mississippi. Authorities argued that the data could help identify the suspects involved, particularly incidents without known suspects. 

A magistrate judge ruled the "tower dump" warrants are general warrants and therefore impermissible, and District Judge Carlton Reeves agreed. 

While the warrants could help identify potential suspects, Reeves wrote, "law enforcement would also have access to the cellular records of countless individuals, the vast majority of whom were merely passing by a location at the ‘wrong’ time." The ruling repeatedly referenced the Supreme Court's recent decision that "geofence warrants" are unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment.