Supreme Court Mulling Police GPS Tracking Law–Without YOUR Permission

Leave it to the Guardian UK Paper to publish a story about what could be affecting US on this side of the pond.  The US Supreme Court is hearing a case about a GPS being used to track a suspect without their knowledge.

The US Government is appealing a Supreme Court decision that threw out the drug conviction of a man named Antoine Jones because the FBI and authorities installed a GPS on his car, tracked his wherabouts, and gathered travel details without a warrant.   The Obama Administration argues that when people travel on public streets, they have no expectation of privacy.   The Supreme Court disagreed initially, and tossed the conviction because it was done without the warrant.   The appellate court judges who threw out Jone's conviction said the authorities, if they had probable cause, could have gotten a warrant. They also pointed out that Jones, who was traced via the GPS to drug houses and cash drop stashes, was under surveillance for a month-giving them plenty of time to get a warrant.  The case has important implications for technology use in tracking and apprehending criminals.  The original court, in overturning the conviction, said without the warrant or probable cause to lead to one, the privacy of citizens could be jeopardized.   Critics of the conviction also said giving authorities the ability to track citizens without their knowledge creates a serious breach of their privacy and freedom.