What the hell is a “geofence warrant”? That sounds so unconstitutional it’s not even funny. The police cannot get a blanket search warrant to search every house in a particular area. How can they get a warrant to search every electronic device in a particular area?
Think footprints.
They aren’t searching his device.
They are looking at the “pings” that his device has left behind on his route.
His device is communicating with mobile phone towers.
Just another example of the ongoing pretense that our civil rights are irrelevant when it comes to “Modern” communications or travel.
They are not getting a warrant, they just Assume the powers of a warrant.
Until someone with very deep pockets prevails in court (Ya, Right, like THAT is going to happen!) they will continue abusing technology to deprive us of our rights.
Ands if you complain, you are a suspect, since, only the guilty demand their rights*!
* A view I have seen espoused from a great many who should know better, including Freepers.
A geofence is an imaginary boundary (any shape) defined by latitude and longitude (lat/lon), in which the interest is about devices crossing into and/or out of the area inside the boundary.
I imagine they are looking for devices that came into the area and left the area during the time when they think the incident took place.
Conversely - anyone could be exonerated if their device was not detected in the fence during that time period. If the guy was biking, and didn’t stop as he was going by, they’ll take him off the list. Typical pings (sampling) range from one to three minutes. A bike at 10-15 mph would cover between .2 and .5 miles between pings. If he wasn’t still for three or four pings, at the house’s lat/lon, he should be in the clear.