[telecom] MD Appellate Court Rebukes Police for Concealing Use of Stingrays

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Maryland Appellate Court Rebukes Police for Concealing Use of Stingrays

A MARYLAND appellate court on Wednesday explained its reasoning for its landmark decision earlier this month requiring police to establish probable cause and get a warrant before using a Stingray, or cell-site simulator.

The Maryland Court of Special Appeals rejected the state of Maryland's argument that anyone turning on a phone was "voluntarily" sharing their whereabouts with the police. And the 73-page opinion also harshly rebuked Baltimore police for trying to conceal their use of Stingrays from the court.

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The panel of judges stated that "cellphone users have an objectively reasonable expectation that their cellphones will not be used as real-time tracking devices, through the direct and active interference of law enforcement."

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