“prosecutors were granted court orders to obtain the suspects’ cell phone records”
...
“Carpenter moved to suppress the data, arguing that the Government’s seizure of the records without obtaining a warrant supported by probable cause violated the Fourth Amendment.”
Could someone give a simple explanation of the difference between “a court order to obtain records” and “a warrant”?
Subpoena vs warrant.
Just guessing that “court order” here means the records, already in hand somewhere via search warrant, will be allowed to be “obtained” by the prosecutors to be used in the case.