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Police use of GPS in the courts

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Wilmington Technology Examiner

A criminal case currently being considered by the Delaware Supreme Court on the use of GPS tracking may have a federal ruling to use a reference.

The US Supreme said on Monday it would rule on whether police need a warrant to use a global positioning system (GPS) device to track a suspect's movements. The US Supreme remarks are in response to a Washington, D.C. case where police put a GPS device on a vehicle of a suspected drug dealer. Washington, D.C. police tracked nightclub owner Antoine Jones for a month.  Jones was convicted on drug charges and sentenced to life in prison as a result of the GPS surveillance.

Delaware case very similar

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a brief in Delaware Supreme Court earlier this month on a case very similar to the one in  Washington, D.C. In the Delaware case a suspected drug dealer, was arrested after police monitored a vehicle for more than 20 days, with GPS technology. A Delaware Superior Court Judge threw out the drug evidence obtained from GPS tracking, because the GPS device was used without a warrant.

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The Court’s decisions will have a significant impact on privacy issues as most American's are carrying a cell phone which can be used as a tracking device.  

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, Wilmington Technology Examiner

Tom Peracchio has a long and diversified career in technology. Tom has helped many small business people integrate technology into their business on a limited budget. Tom began public speaking and writing on telecommunications and its role in business long before the internet was widely used used...

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