United States v. Jones

132 S.Ct. 945 (2012)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

Jones (D) came under suspicion of trafficking in narcotics and was made the target of an investigation. Officers employed various investigative techniques, including visual surveillance of the nightclub, installation of a camera focused on the front door of the club, and a pen register and wiretap covering D's cellular phone. The Government applied for a warrant authorizing the use of an electronic tracking device on the Jeep Grand Cherokee registered to D's wife. A warrant issued, authorizing installation of the device in the District of Columbia and within 10 days. On the 11th day, and not in the District of Columbia but in Maryland agents installed a GPS tracking device on the undercarriage of the Jeep while it was parked in a public parking lot. Over the next 28 days, the Government used the device to track the vehicle's movements, and once had to replace the device's battery when the vehicle was parked in a different public lot in Maryland. D was eventually indicted for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of cocaine base. D filed a motion to suppress evidence obtained through the GPS device. The District Court held some of the data admissible, because “‘a person traveling in an automobile on public thoroughfares has no reasonable expectation of privacy in his movements from one place to another.' Eventually on a second indictment D was convicted. D appealed and the District of Columbia Circuit reversed the conviction because of admission of the evidence obtained by warrantless use of the GPS device violated the Fourth Amendment. The Supreme Court granted certiorari.