Warrantless Drone Surveillance Lawsuit Hears in Michigan Supreme CourtCase
Property owned by Todd and Heather Maxson in Long Lake Township, Michigan. Town officials have complained that the Maxons family, who store several old cars and other items on their five-acre rural property, violate zoning requirements. To prove it, the zoning authorities flew a drone over Maxon’s property and took pictures and videos that were later used as part of the zoning violation incident.
“The Maxsons, represented by the Institute of Justice (IJ), said the government was violating their Fourth Amendment rights and that illegally obtained photos and videos could not be used to punish them. We are seeking a judgment from the court,” the Justice Institute news agency reported. release.
IJ’s attorney Mike Greenberg said, “The government cannot use a drone to infiltrate a home without a warrant, monitor it, and use the information it collects in a court of law.” “That’s exactly the kind of voyeurism the Fourth Amendment is there to guard against, and we look forward to taking that very case to the Supreme Court justices.”
“Like all Americans, I have the right to be safe on my property without being monitored by government drones,” Todd said. “We are thrilled that the court will hear our case so that we can establish that right for everyone.”
Ongoing discussion
In September 2022, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the zoning authority, holding that Fourth Amendment protections do not apply to civil law enforcement.
“But the Fourth Amendment applies to all government employees, and our right to be free from unfair investigations does not enable what the investigations are trying to discover,” said the Justice Institute. argues that you can’t “slice and dice and dice.” enacts the Fourth Amendment and determines which branches of government it applies to.
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Miriam McNabb, editor-in-chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of professional drone services marketplace JobForDrones, is a keen observer of the emerging drone industry and drone regulatory environment. Miriam is an international speaker and industry recognized figure, with over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and he has over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing new technologies.
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