A federal court in Philadelphia ruled Tuesday that the government needed a warrant from a court based on probable cause before attaching a GPS unit to a car for tracking its movements.
The latest ruling on Tuesday from a Federal Court in Philadelphia in the U.S. says that police must seek a warrant before tracking vehicles by attaching a GPS unit. This is believed to be a major win for privacy groups who have long fought to secure the Fourth Amendment rights of U.S. citizens.
The case involved a series of alleged pharmacy burglaries in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Three brothers, the Katzins, were suspects in the case and they were tracked using a GPS unit attached to their vans after consulting with the U.S. Attorney's office, but without a warrant. Police arrested the trio, who appealed to the court as the police had gathered evidence from the GPS unit without a warrant, according to Washington Post.
The court, with a three-judge panel, ruled the case in the Katzin brothers' favor and dismissed the government's appeal.
The latest ruling is the first time that a federal appeals court has ordered warrants for attaching GPS tracking on vehicles.
"Today's decision is a victory for all Americans because it ensures that the police cannot use powerful tracking technology without court supervision and a good reason to believe it will turn up evidence of wrongdoing," American Civil Liberties Union Staff Attorney Catherine Crump, who argued before the three-judge panel, said in a press release. "These protections are important because where people go reveals a great deal about them, from who their friends and business associates are to what doctors they go to."
