Police use of GPS device on car violates 4

th
Amendment
United State v Jones __ US ___
January 23, 2012 No. 101259.
The Governments attachment o the G!S "ev#ce to the veh#c$e, an" #ts use o that
"ev#ce to mon#tor the veh#c$es movements, const#tutes a search un"er the %ourth
&men"ment.
'a( The %ourth &men"ment )rotects the *r#+ht o the )eo)$e to ,e secure #n the#r
)ersons, houses, )a)ers, an" eects, a+a#nst unreasona,$e searches an"
se#-ures.. /ere, the Governments )hys#ca$ #ntrus#on on an *eect. or the )ur)ose
o o,ta#n#n+ #normat#on const#tutes a *search.. Th#s ty)e o encroachment on an
area enumerate" #n the &men"ment 0ou$" have ,een cons#"ere" a search 0#th#n
the mean#n+ o the &men"ment at the t#me #t 0as a"o)te".
',( Th#s conc$us#on #s cons#stent 0#th th#s 1ourts %ourth &men"ment
2ur#s)ru"ence, 0h#ch unt#$ the $atter ha$ o the 20th century 0as t#e" to common3
$a0 tres)ass. 4ater cases, 0h#ch have "ev#ate" rom that e5c$us#ve$y )ro)erty3
,ase" a))roach, have a))$#e" the ana$ys#s o Just#ce /ar$ans concurrence #n
6at- v. Un#te" States, 379 U. S. 389 , 0h#ch sa#" that the %ourth &men"ment
)rotects a )ersons *reasona,$e e5)ectat#on o )r#vacy,. #"., at 3:0. /ere, the
1ourt nee" not a""ress the Governments content#on that Jones ha" no
*reasona,$e e5)ectat#on o )r#vacy,. ,ecause Joness %ourth &men"ment r#+hts
"o not r#se or a$$ 0#th the 6at- ormu$at#on. &t ,ottom, the 1ourt must *assure
)reservat#on o that "e+ree o )r#vacy a+a#nst +overnment that e5#ste" 0hen the
%ourth &men"ment 0as a"o)te".. 6y$$o v. Un#te" States, 533 U. S. 29 . 6at- "#"
not re)u"#ate the un"erstan"#n+ that the %ourth &men"ment em,o"#es a )art#cu$ar
concern or +overnment tres)ass u)on the areas #t enumerates. The 6at-
reasona,$e3e5)ectat#on3o3)r#vacy test has ,een a""e" to, ,ut not su,st#tute" or,
the common3$a0 tres)assory test. See &$"erman v. Un#te" States, 398 U. S. 1:5 ;
So$"a$ v. 1oo< 1ounty, 50: U. S. 5: . Un#te" States v. 6notts, 8:0 U. S. 29: , an"
Un#te" States v. 6aro, 8:7 U. S. 905 =)ost36at- cases re2ect#n+ %ourth
&men"ment cha$$en+es to *,ee)ers,. e$ectron#c trac<#n+ "ev#ces re)resent#n+
another orm o e$ectron#c mon#tor#n+="o not orec$ose the conc$us#on that a
search occurre" here. Ne0 >or< v. 1$ass, 895 U. S. 10: , an" ?$#ver v. Un#te"
States, 8:: U. S. 190 , a$so "o not su))ort the Governments )os#t#on.