Your phone connected to a cell tower near a crime scene—but does that make you a suspect? Not necessarily. In California, law enforcement generally cannot obtain broad cell phone location data without complying with strict warrant requirements under the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act (CalECPA). This article explains what a cell tower dump is, why these searches raise privacy concerns, and how an overly broad or unlawful warrant may affect the admissibility of evidence in a criminal case.

If you are involved in a case, do not assume service was done correctly just because paperwork says it was. And if you are bringing a case, make sure it is done right the first time.

In California, serving legal documents is a critical part of any court case. However, there are instances when