Warrant Needed for GPS Tracking

Supreme Court Rules Warrant Needed for GPS Tracking

A recent change to law: There is now a warrant needed for GPS tracking.

On January 23, 2012, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the police must get a search warrant before using GPS technology to track criminal suspects. This decision will make it much more difficult for government and police agencies to track suspects. Police and government officials routinely rely on such technology in an effort to arrest and prosecute suspects.

In its opinion, the Supreme Court indicated that the installation of a GPS device on a suspect’s vehicle constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment. The court states that this means a warrant is a necessity.

The Fourth Amendment protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures. It also mandates that a warrant must be obtained except in special circumstances.

All nine Supreme Court Justices agreed that the GPS monitoring of a vehicle violated the Fourth Amendment when it is donhttps://stlcriminaldefense.com/wp-admin/edit-tags.php?taxonomy=categorye without a warrant. While this decision will certainly create complications for police agencies, groups like the American Civil Liberties Union said the decision was an “important victory for privacy.”

The American Civil Liberties Union works to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States.