WASHINGTON

Supreme Court questions need for lifelong monitoring

The Supreme Court raised constitutional doubts Monday about the lifelong monitoring of sex offenders and other criminals with use of GPS devices.

In a unanimous decision, the justices ruled for a North Carolina man and said this monitoring is a search under the Fourth Amendment that must be justified as reasonable based on all the circumstances.

Since 2005, 40 states have adopted laws that provide for GPS monitoring of ex-offenders. California was said to have the first and largest monitoring program. The court was told 9,300 sex offenders in California were being tracked, along with some gang members.

Monday’s decision stops well short of striking down such monitoring, but it opens the door for ex-offenders to argue for limits.

HONOLULU

Regional VA allegedly manipulated benefits data

A supervisor at the Veterans Administration office in Honolulu was manipulating data to make it look like the agency was processing veterans’ benefits claims faster than they actually were, according to the VA Office of Inspector General.

The data manipulation happened last year when there was heightened scrutiny nationwide over how long veterans were waiting to see doctors.

The electronic records altered in Honolulu dealt with benefits claims, not medical appointments. But the finding underscores that there are ongoing problems within the system.

The Honolulu supervisor was removing controls in the electronic record that are used to track and identify the progress of claims.

There has been no indication that the manipulation was particularly widespread, but it wasn’t unique. “We haven’t seen this at all 57 regional offices, we have seen it at a few. I think four additional ones aside from Honolulu,” he said.

LOS ANGELES

Brazilians vying for return of 840-pound emerald

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled that a trial to determine ownership of the prized Bahia Emerald will continue in Los Angeles despite ongoing efforts by the government of Brazil to return the gem to its country of origin.

The 180,000-carat, 840-pound behemoth has been the subject of a contentious court battle between a colorful cast of gem traders, miners, real estate tycoons and others vying for the jewel once valued at $372 million.

The gem, unearthed in 2009 from a mine in the state of Bahia in eastern Brazil, is a hulking mass of rock with tubes of protruding green crystals.

Judge Michael Johnson made clear that he was not ruling on the merits of Brazil’s claim to ownership, but solely on the motion to dismiss or pause court proceedings in Los Angeles.

—From news service reports

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