court upholds constitution

[John]

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/u-s-v-jones-a-big-privacy-win/

http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/10-1259.pdf

The Supreme Court has delivered a big win for privacy in U.S. v. Jones. That’s the case in which government agents placed a GPS device on a car and used it to track a person round-the-clock for four weeks. The question before the Court was whether the government may do this in the absence of a valid warrant. All nine justices say No.

[kawi kid]

Sadly that was an issue to make it to the supreme court.

[serpentracer]

but your cell phone doesn't need any permissions right?

[redkow97]

So should it also be unconstitutional to follow a person for 4 weeks?

Doesn't the technology just save us from paying cops to follow cars 24 hours a day?

[John]

thats not really what its saying. you can read the decision for all the information.

basically it boils down to this: "The Government physically occupied private property for the purpose of obtaining information” when it attached a GPS device to a private vehicle and used it to gather information. This was a search that the government could not conduct without a valid warrant.

interestingly enough. they DID have a warrant that said they could attach the device in the district of columbia, within 10 days of the issue of the warrant. however they attached the device on the 11th day, and did it in maryland, not in DC....

Edited January 23, 2012 by John

[snot]

How could they prove who was driving for four weeks unless they do follow them, GPS just shows where the car was.