Placing a device on a private vehicle without the owner's permission is not a violation of privacy? How about recording everything the driver says as he drives down the road. This judge is a very dangerous idiot.
From what I gathered in the story, the judge might respond by pointing out that the police don't need your permission to follow your vehicle.
"... the NYPD would be free to go out and attach these devices to cars and track people without any showing of wrongdoing."
Really? Does that also mean the cops can follow you without any just cause? If so, color me surprised. This I did not know.
I have to admit, on some level, their attaching a GPS to a vehicle would seem to be not much different than their following the same vehicle 24x7 with the world's smallest, most maneuverable helicopter. It still doesn't seem right, though.