On Thursday, a US federal judge in New York delivered a crucial rebuke to the government’s warrantless use of stingrays.
In a 14-page opinion, the judge ruled that the government could not use its stingray to locate a drug suspect, asleep in his apartment. As a result of the ruling, the judge suppressed the evidence found in the man’s bedroom—a kilogram of cocaine—likely effectively ending the case.
In March 2016, a state appeals court in Maryland reached a similar finding, but this is believed to be the first federal ruling of its kind.
