District attorney sues courts for withholding GPS data of suspects
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Second Judicial District Attorney Raúl Torrez has filed a lawsuit accusing the Second Judicial District Court of refusing to release the location data of suspects placed on GPS monitoring.
In correspondence with the district attorney, court staff have indicated that releasing GPS data of its defendants violates their privacy.
"If a judge has ordered you to wear a GPS ankle bracelet and told you, 'We will be monitoring you 24/7,' you obviously have no expectation of privacy," Torrez said. At a news conference Thursday, Torrez and Albuquerque Police Department Chief Harold Medina argued public safety should trump the privacy rights of somebody awaiting trial for a violent crime.
According to the complaint filed by Torrez, the court denied the DA office's request for GPS location data in the case of Devin Munford. Munford was released with ankle monitor Jan. 4. While wearing that GPS monitor, police believe Munford robbed a convenience store and shot and killed 22-year-old Devon Heyborne.
A 4 Investigates report later revealed that
the division of the court in charge of monitoring GPS devices doesn't operate on weekends, evenings of holidays.
https://www.kob.com/new-mexico-news/district-attorney-sues-courts-for-withholding-gps-data-of-suspects/6319671/?cat=500