Every October, the United States Supreme Court starts a new term. Thousands of petitions for Supreme Court review (known as certiorari) are filed with the court each year, but less than 100 cases will be heard by the Court this term. Last year’s term ended in June and only 84 cases were heard and ruled on. A new U.S. Supreme Court term means new rulings on AZ Criminal Defense Law.
One of the issues expected to be heard by the United States Supreme Court this term regards the use of global positioning systems (GPS) by law enforcement. This is one of the cases to watch if you have any interest in criminal defense law. The question has been raised whether or not police can place a GPS on a vehicle of a suspected drug dealer without receiving the court’s permission. Lower courts have ruled that a warrant is not necessary since normal drivers, like you and me, have no reasonable expectation of privacy while driving on a public road or highway. Other courts have disagreed with this saying that it is a violation of privacy, and just as police are required to obtain warrants for search, they should also be required to get the court’s authority before placing a GPS on a vehicle.
There are several other cases involving juvenile defense that may be reviewed by the Supreme Court as well. Those include cases about free speech, sexting, and child pornography. Should be an interesting year for Supreme Court cases and Naegle & Crider Criminal Defense Attorneys will make sure we are on top of all the recent rulings regarding criminal defense.
Check out our pages about drug possession and juvenile defense for more information about how we handle these types of criminal defense cases in Arizona. As always, call 480-685-1122 or fill out the consultation form below for your free consultation with Charlie Naegle. Charlie Naegle is an attorney focused on cases involving AZ criminal defense law.