Story perspectives

SCOTUS rules sentencing waivers unenforceable, geofence warrants illegal

7/2/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Supreme Court ruled that a sentencing waiver can be unenforceable and that a geofence warrant is Fourth Amendment search.
Justice Neil Gorsuch filed concurring opinions, condemning plea-bargaining practices and Fourth Amendment doctrines.
He warned that 95 percent of felony convictions come from guilty pleas, undermining Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial.
Gorsuch said the majority’s “expectation of privacy” test lacks textual basis and conflicts with the 1976 third-party doctrine.

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Story summary

The Supreme Court ruled that a sentencing waiver can be unenforceable and that a geofence warrant is Fourth Amendment search.
Justice Neil Gorsuch filed concurring opinions, condemning plea-bargaining practices and Fourth Amendment doctrines.
He warned that 95 percent of felony convictions come from guilty pleas, undermining Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial.
Gorsuch said the majority’s “expectation of privacy” test lacks textual basis and conflicts with the 1976 third-party doctrine.