Cell-location evidence can feel decisive in a criminal case. Prosecutors may use it to argue you “had to be there.”

However, CSLI and tower dumps rarely deliver a neat GPS dot on a map. They raise technical questions and Fourth Amendment questions, and those issues often decide whether the jury ever sees the data.

This post explains what CSLI and tower dumps are, where warrants go wrong, and how defense teams in Georgia challenge overbroad location evidence with expert support.

CSLI and Tower Dump Basics

Cell-site location information (CSLI) refers to records a wireless carrier keeps showing which cell towers and sectors a phone connected to over time. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that the government generally needs a search warrant supported by probable cause to obtain historical CSLI.

A tower dump works differently. Investigators request a list of devices that connected to a specific tower (or towers) during a time window. That technique can pull in data from many uninvolved people, especially in dense areas or wide time frames.

Courts that approve tower-dump warrants often impose limits and minimization steps to address Fourth Amendment concerns.

Warrant Overbreadth and Particularity Issues

Suppression arguments frequently start with the basics: probable cause and particularity. Georgia’s warrant statute requires facts showing probable cause and a particular description of the place to be searched and items to be seized.

Defense challenges often target:

• Time windows that sprawl: A request for hours (or days) can look more like a broad search for suspects than a search for evidence tied to a specific event.
• Geographic overreach:Towers cover variable areas; a warrant that assumes precision can overstate what CSLI proves.
• No minimization plan:If the warrant does not limit retention, filtering, or who can access nonrelevant device data, the defense can argue the request functioned like a general warrant.
• Carpenter mismatch:If the State relied on something less than a warrant for historical CSLI, Carpenter provides the starting point for suppression.

Act Quickly to Challenge Location Evidence

Morris & Dean defends people charged with crimes across North Georgia, and we know how strongly the State leans on digital-location proof. If your case involves CSLI or a tower dump, we can evaluate the warrant, identify overbreadth issues, and discuss suppression options early. Call us at 706-222-3790 or submit your request through the intake form.