Grady v. North Carolina
A plain-English summary from Criminal Defense Resources™, a free resource for pro per/pro se defendants and their families.
General educational information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. This page describes what a court decided in general terms. It does not tell you what to do in any case.
- Court
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Decided
- Citation
- 575 U.S. 306 (2015)
What did the court decide?
In a short unsigned opinion, the Court held that a state program that attaches a satellite-based (GPS) monitoring device to a person's body to track the person's movements is a Fourth Amendment search. It sent the case back for the state courts to decide whether the search was reasonable.
Why does it matter?
Attaching a GPS monitor to a person counts as a search, just as attaching one to a car did in United States v. Jones.
Where can I read the full opinion?
Read the full opinion on Cornell Law School LII →
Always read the full opinion and check whether later cases have limited or changed it. A summary can leave out important details.
Related rulings
General educational information, not legal advice. Not a law firm.