United States v. Jones
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| United States v. Jones | |
| Court | Supreme Court of the United States |
|---|---|
| Citation | |
| Date decided | January 23, 2012 |
Facts
Police officers placed a GPS device on a suspect's car. Next, they tracked the car's position for a month all without obtaining a search warrant under the 4th Amendment of the US Constitution.
Procedural History
Three lower courts ruled that using a GPS device for electronic location tracking doesn't constitute a "search." The lower courts stated that there is no expectation of privacy in public movements.
Issues
Is a search warrant required to track a person's location using their car's GPS?
Holding
The police trespassed on the suspect's property rights when they secretly attached a GPS device on the suspect's vehicle.
Rule
A trespass is a search.
