Posted on 05/10/2009 7:57:22 AM PDT by mtrott
MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin police can attach GPS to cars to secretly track anybody's movements without obtaining search warrants, an appeals court ruled Thursday.
However, the District 4 Court of Appeals said it was "more than a little troubled" by that conclusion and asked Wisconsin lawmakers to regulate GPS use to protect against abuse by police and private individuals.
As the law currently stands, the court said police can mount GPS on cars to track people without violating their constitutional rights -- even if the drivers aren't suspects.
Officers do not need to get warrants beforehand because GPS tracking does not involve a search or a seizure, Judge Paul Lundsten wrote for the unanimous three-judge panel based in Madison.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
It’s the government employees we need to be tracking.
I’m no lawyer but I’d wager that this would be struck down by the Federal courts.
If u can find it
I hear rare earth magnets really enhance the functionality of these GPS devices. You may want to help out by placing a few around the casing of the device.
—not if the “Denver Boot” precedent holds—that being a case where a chap with a welding truck which had been “booted” cut it off with his handy torch and was prosecuted for something of the sort of “ destruction of public property”——
This is disturbing.....
Can private citizens put GPS on patol cars so they know where the speed traps are? Only seems fair.
Rather than wasting a great device by throwing it down a storm drain take it out to the truck stop and send it on a trip like, a message in a bottle.
Hmm. If the police can do this, even though you’re not a suspect, can your insurance company also do it?
It's your choice: continue and advance the police state or not? Just remember, you'll feel safer in the police state.
America -- a great idea, didn't last.
Sounds to me, like a "search" of where you've been....Plus a "seizure" of your right to privacy
But wiretapping terrorists is an outrage.
Wiretaps don’t involve search and seizure either, but warrants are necessary. Look for this to be challenged all the way to the Supreme Court....
But the case was concerning someone suspected of stalking, so how can the case be precedent for a non-suspect? It seems to me that this is dicta and that the only clear ruling was that the policy can use it for cases in which a complaint and underlying report of criminal activity are already occurring.
I still don’t like the fact that they can attach something to my car.
Will they be able to attach something to my clothing next?
Put it on a police car’s rear bumper then call the bomb squad.
Yes!!!
At the least is tresspassing onto private property.
Not even close to the same thing!!!
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