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GPS Is the Latest Tool for Prosecutors

by Tim Stevens on August 29, 2008 at 09:14 AM

GPS is the Latest Tool for Prosecutors
Everyone knows that GPS is really handy for getting you to your Aunt Edna's house way up in the hills, where the roads look alike and the street signs have all been stolen or shot up by the locals. We've also seen how some convicted offenders have been given GPS-equipped tracking devices to monitor their whereabouts. Now, though, GPS devices are starting to be used more and more frequently to convict those offenders, becoming another vital piece of evidence in court.

Prosecutors are issuing subpoenas for defendant's GPS-enabled devices, whether they be in-car nav systems or cell phones. This information is being used in court to show the defendant's whereabouts during the crime. In one case, a man was shown to have been parked near his house when it burned to the ground, which didn't do much for his insurance claim. In another case, a man changed his plea to guilty in a rape case as soon as information from his nav system was entered into evidence.

As of now, the use of GPS information in court is somewhat intermittent. However, with more and more people unwittingly tracking their own locations with their cell phones (or navigation devices) at every moment every day, GPS will only become an even greater tool for prosecutors. That's a trend privacy advocates are sure to love. [From: PhysOrg.com]

Tags: crime, gps, navigation

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