⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Seventh Circuit hears United States against Hurd. His federal prosecution began with charges that he possessed cocaine and a machine gun, and possessed a firearm after prior felony convictions. In the argument, listen for the boundary between an arrest, a brief safety check inside a home, and a search for evidence. A motion to suppress asks a court to keep challenged evidence out of the case. A protective sweep is a limited check for people who might pose a danger, not a general hunt for evidence. Curtilage means the area immediately surrounding and associated with a home. And attenuation asks whether the link between unlawful police conduct and evidence has become weak enough for the evidence still to be used.

USA v. Orentho Hurd (No. 25-3083) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, argued October 26, 2026.