Troubling Oversteps by American Law Enforcement... Maybe His Lawyer Should Seek a Restraining Order for His Stalkers...

I saw an article about a week ago and came another one on the same topic this morning. The tale is one right out of every conspiracy novel or film made... A guy goes to get his oil changed and the tech notices an out-of-place wire. They discover a GPS tracking device attached to his car. When he posts a picture of it on-line to find out what it is, the FBI comes knocking wanting its device back... Yikes!

This Arab American fellow clearly has drawn the attention of the authorities, apparently mostly because his father was well-known and he sends money home. It does make you wonder how many more of these are out there. In the earlier article it talked about the fact that this device isn't even very state-of-the-art.

I will be interested to see what tactics his lawyer uses to fight this. It seems that the law on this one is still being written. Some courts have determined that GPS tracking devices require a search warrant as they go beyond a simple tail on a single trip. Personally, that argument makes sense to me. As the Washington DC judge said, it is unlikely anyone would actually spend the time following movements so closely for an entire month. That got me thinking about stalkers. They're about the only ones who do, right? So maybe they should sue for stalking? Take out a TRO (Temporary Restraining Order) to keep them backed off?

The erosion of American civil liberties and the continual overstepping of American law enforcement in the name of "safety" worries me greatly. I think that law enforcement leaders need to reread a few key books, including 1984 and Fahrenheit 451. They seem to have lost sight of what they are step by step becoming. And it really worries me. I understand that they are fighting against a nebulous enemy, but by sliding bit by bit down this slope, they will assure that no one has freedom and no one has safety. It's not a war, which we all know. A war can be won...

Happy Surprises!