The fourth amendment protects Americans from searches and seizures that infringe on their privacy. Police and other investigative agencies must respect people’s right to privacy and search after a warrant has been issued (Peak & Madensen-Herold, 2019). The video presents the case of Jones, a suspected drug dealer caught with drugs and huge sums of money in a private apartment. Although he was sentenced to life imprisonment, he appealed to the Supreme Court, claiming the evidence against him was collected illegally (VOA, 2012). The police had used the new technology to install a tracking device in the car, which revealed his secrets after a month-long tracking of his car. The Supreme Court ruling that required all police and investigative agencies to seek court approval before using technology to search proves that the constitution protects citizens. The rule of law and the constitution relate to the topic selected in the video as it protects Mr. Jones despite being guilty of drug trafficking. However, the rule of law is maintained as Jones is made accountable for his deeds.
The constitutionality discussed in the Video extends to current technologies, search as social media and applications that reveal a person’s location and other private information. The current technologies involving data, such as Facebook, Tweeter, smart phones and smart vehicles can be used to collect evidence against criminals. However, the constitution protects the people against private infringement and the police can only search after being cleared by the court (Peak & Madensen-Herold, 2019). The jurisprudential influence of the ruling on the video means that all current technologies, such as smart cars, cell phones, and data management applications, cannot be accessed by the police without the court’s approval. The constitutionality can further be extended to future technologies as the fourth amendment seeks to protect the citizen’s privacy. Regardless of the future technology’s ability to expose a person’s whereabouts and data, the police or investigative agencies have no right to leverage technology to collect evidence without prior court approval.
References
Peak, K. J., & Madensen-Herold, T. D. (2019). Introduction to criminal justice: Practice and process. Sage Publications.
VOA. (2012). Ruling on GPS tracking by police Leaves a big question [Video]. YouTube. Web.