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BY LAUREN ZIMA

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday police violated Fourth Amendment rights when they used GPS technology to track a suspect’s car without a search warrant. KCRA has the story.

“The justices heard arguments last year in the case of a nightclub owner convicted of drug conspiracy. Police in Washington, DC had attached a GPS to his car and followed his movements.”

That tracking led investigators to a stash of money and drugs. A federal appeals court had previously overturned the man’s conviction. The Supreme Court agrees with that ruling and it’s making waves. MSNBC calls it a first-of-its-kind ruling in a world of fast-changing technology.

“There’s language in this ruling that suggests a majority of the court is also sympathetic to the privacy implications of, for example, police trying to track you using a cell phone or other electronic devices.”

On the Boston Globe’s website, a guest blogger from the American Civil Liberties Union applauds the ruling, calling it “breathtakingly important.”

“ ... a major victory for privacy advocates and for all people who want to see a clear translation of basic constitutional rights in the digital age. … Since most people in the United States travel with their mobile phones 24/7 ... these questions could not be more important.”

But a writer for Forbes says the ruling is flat-out “wrong,” arguing safety should trump privacy.

“It’s a great day to be a criminal or terrorist, thanks to the US Supreme Court. … The Monday ruling … encourages criminals and terrorists to behave even more boldly knowing their movements are now more difficult to track without detection.”

Still, The Baltimore Sun reports in Maryland, at least -- the ruling doesn’t seem to be a major concern for criminal investigations.

“Brian Thompson, a lawyer who represents criminal defendants in both state and federal courts, said he doesn’t believe the new rules will put too much of a burden on police. ‘The police will just get warrants first,’ he said. ‘They don’t just put tracking devices on people randomly.’”