United States v. Jones - Post-Decision SCOTUScast

On January 23, 2012, the Supreme Court announced its decision in United States v. Jones. The question in this case is whether police officers’ warrantless installation and use of a GPS tracking device on a suspect’s vehicle violates the Fourth Amendment.  A lower court had reversed the defendant’s conviction on the grounds that admission of the evidence obtained from the GPS violated the Fourth Amendment.

By a vote of 9-0, the Supreme Court affirmed the lower court’s judgment.  Justice Scalia, joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Kennedy, Thomas, and Sotomayor, held for the majority that the government’s attachment and use of the GPS was a search for purposes of the Fourth Amendment.  Justice Sotomayor also filed a separate concurring opinion.  Justice Alito, joined by Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, and Kagan, filed an opinion concurring in the judgment but relying upon a different rationale.

To discuss the case, we have Paul Rosenzwieg, who is the Principal and founder of Red Branch Law and Consulting, PLLC.

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