Updating an earlier blog entry, the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has unanimously ruled that law enforcement officers MUST obtain a search warrant to track criminal suspects with GPS tracking devices. Justice Antonin Scalia said that the installation of a GPS device by the government was a search and did require a warrant.
Justice Scalia further noted that "[b]y attaching the device to the Jeep . . . officers encroached on a protected area." He concluded that the installation of the GPS device on the vehicle was a trespass and that, without a warrant, amounted to an illegal search.
Jones, a Washington night-club owner, had been charged with, and convicted of, drug conspiracy. He appealed the conviction to the Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals overturned the conviction.
If you have questions regarding warrants, searches or drug cases, contact Gregory A. Miller, a Fort Wayne Criminal Defense Lawyer at (260) 833-7249.
