Gps Does The Legwork As Cops Track Suspects
Law enforcement agencies are increasingly using global positioning system (GPS) technology to track suspects, and controversy has erupted over whether authorities need a warrant to use the devices. For example, Oneida County, N.Y., lawyer Robert Moran Jr. was arrested for transporting illegal drugs for the Hells Angels last year. Authorities arrested Moran after placing a GPS device under his car and tracking his movements.
Moran is challenging the arrest, claiming that police needed to obtain a warrant before placing the device on Moran’s car. “The use of a GPS device is a far greater intrusion than placing a ‘beeper’ on an automobile,” says Moran’s attorney, J. Kevin Mulroy, who cites a recent decision by a New York City judge in arguing that a warrant is necessary.
In that case, the judge ruled that “pursuant to the Fourth Amendment and the New York State Constitution…a warrant is required prior to the installation of a GPS device on a vehicle.”
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Times Union (10/05/04) P. A1; Lyons, Brendan.