Satellite-Based Monitoring Is Unconstitutional for All Unsupervised Recidivists

The Supreme Court of North Carolina held in State v. Grady, ___ N.C. ___ (2019), that satellite-based monitoring (SBM) of sex offenders is unconstitutional as applied to any unsupervised person who was ordered to enroll in SBM solely because he or she is a recidivist. By unsupervised, the court meant a person not on probation, parole, or post-release supervision. Today’s post takes a closer look at the Grady decision and what it may mean for North Carolina’s SBM program going forward.

We’ve been writing about Grady on this blog since 2015. Let me see if I can bring you up to speed in one paragraph. Torrey Grady was convicted of second-degree sexual offense in 1997 and indecent liberties with a child in 2006. At a 2013 bring-back hearing, he was ordered to enroll in SBM for life, which is statutorily mandatory for a recidivist. G.S. 14-208.40(a)(1). North Carolina’s courts rejected his argument that SBM is an unconstitutional search, concluding that Fourth Amendment precedent related to GPS technology didn’t apply to a civil regime like SBM. State v. Grady, 233 N.C. App. 788 (2014). The Supreme Court of the United States vacated those decisions, noting that civil regimes, too, can include searches within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment. The Court remanded the case to North Carolina for a determination of whether SBM is a reasonable search. Grady v. North Carolina, 135 S. Ct. 1368 (2015). On remand, the trial court concluded that SBM was reasonable and therefore constitutional. A divided court of appeals reversed, as discussed here, concluding that SBM was an unconstitutional search as applied to Mr. Grady, largely because the State failed to present any evidence of the efficacy of SBM. The State appealed as of right based on the dissent, which brings us to the most recent decision of the Supreme Court of North Carolina.

As instructed by the Supreme Court of the United States, North Carolina’s high court walked through a totality-of-the-circumstances analysis to evaluate the constitutionality of the search, balancing the defendant’s “reasonable privacy expectations” against the “legitimate governmental interests” motivating SBM. I won’t walk through the entire analysis, but let me highlight a few items that I think might be important in considering Grady’s reach.

On the privacy side of the balance, a key to the court’s analysis was that, when it comes to recidivists, the statute requires the trial court to impose lifetime SBM with no individualized assessment of the offender or his or her offense characteristics on the front end. Meanwhile, the back-end procedure for removing a person from SBM (G.S. 14-208.43) goes before the Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission, not a judge—and so far, every enrollee who has petitioned the Commission for removal has been denied relief. The court also noted that the device weighs a half-pound and requires the enrollee to spend two hours charging it each day, “tethered to the wall,” slip op. at 13, rejecting the State’s argument that this was a mere inconvenience.

On the government interest side of the balance, the court concluded that the State did not present any empirical evidence demonstrating that the SBM program effectively advances its interests in protecting the public or investigating and deterring crimes.

Balancing those factors, the court concluded that SBM violated the Fourth Amendment as applied to Mr. Grady. Not only that, the court said, it is unconstitutional for any individual in the same category as Mr. Grady—which is to say anyone enrolled solely by virtue of being a recidivist who is not on probation, parole, or post-release supervision.

The court described its holding as “neither squarely facial nor as-applied.” Slip op. at 60. It is as-applied in the sense that it applies only to the “current implementation of the SBM program”; does not apply to defendants still under probation, parole, or PRS; and does not apply to defendants enrolled in SBM for a reason other than being a recidivist (like being an aggravated offender, a sexually violent predator, a person convicted of rape or sexual offense of a child by an adult). As to unsupervised recidivists, however, it is facial, and the court “enjoin[ed] application of mandatory lifetime SBM to other unsupervised individuals when the SBM is authorized based solely on a ‘recidivist’ finding.” Slip op. at 61.

I had previously conceptualized the “Grady hearing” (the part of the SBM determination hearing where a trial judge considers the reasonableness of SBM) as a judicial gloss that might save an otherwise unconstitutional statute by limiting its application to the subset of offenders for whom the State could establish its reasonableness. Sure, we didn’t yet have an example of an appellate case where the State had made the required showing (particularly on the issue of effectiveness), but I assumed it might be possible with the right record evidence. After this latest chapter of Grady, it is not possible in recidivist-only cases once their probation, parole, or post-release supervision ends—at least not under the “current implementation of the SBM program.”

With that in mind, is there any reason at all to conduct a reasonableness inquiry in recidivist-only cases? I might have thought there would be, to determine whether the search was reasonable during the term of probation or PRS supervision. But in limiting its holding to unsupervised offenders, the court appeared to say that SBM is indeed mandatory for recidivists during their term of supervision. Slip op. at 67 (“[B]ecause of the independent statutory provisions governing conditions for parole, post-release supervision, and probation, an individual who is a recidivist is still automatically subject to SBM during the period of State supervision.”).

I also wonder how much the SBM program will need to evolve from its “current implementation” before it falls outside ambit of the facial holding in Grady. For instance, would a new device make a difference? In fact, DACJJ has already moved on from the ExacuTrack One device discussed in the opinion to something called the LOC8 device. The new device weighs 5.5 ounces instead of 8.7 ounces, and it has a removable battery pack that can be charged without “tethering.”

So what happens now? To the extent that the court’s ruling is styled as an injunction, it would seem that anyone who falls into the “facial” unsupervised recidivist-only category ought not to be tracked any longer. See slip op. at 61 (“[O]ur holding . . . enjoins application of mandatory lifetime SBM to other unsupervised individuals . . . .”).  My understanding is that there are over 200 such persons currently wearing the device. The mandate in the case issued on September 5, 2019.

Grady’s applicability to enrollees in categories aside from recidivists remains to be seen. As a reminder, the other statutory categories of lifetime SBM are defendants convicted of aggravated offenses, sexually violent predators, and those convicted of rape or sexual offense with a child by an adult. Aggravated offenses, you may recall, are those involving vaginal, anal, or oral penetration through the use of force or the threat of serious violence, or with a victim who is under 12—which our courts have interpreted as including only rapes. (The dissent’s characterization of Grady’s sexual offense conviction as an aggravated offense, see slip op. at 5, n. 2 (Newby, J., dissenting), would be a departure from our existing case law from the court of appeals, see State v. Green, 229 N.C. App. 121 (2013), but the supreme court has never squarely ruled on the question.) The other enrollment category is persons convicted of an offense involving the physical, mental, or sexual abuse of a minor who require monitoring for a period set by the court based on the results of a risk assessment (usually a Static-99) or other findings.

Sexually violent predators and abuse-of-a-minor defendants receive a front-end, individualized assessment of risk that might differentiate them from recidivists. But if we assume for the sake of argument that the intrusiveness and effectiveness prongs of the reasonableness balancing test are roughly the same for these categories as they were for recidivists, then it seems that all of them could be on shaky constitutional footing after Grady. We may know soon, as more cases are pending before the supreme court.

10 thoughts on “Satellite-Based Monitoring Is Unconstitutional for All Unsupervised Recidivists”

  1. I BELIEVE ITS UNCONSTITUYIONAL IN ALOT OF STATES INCLUDING WISCONSIN ITS ABSERD OF THE TIME FOR CRIMES THEY KEEP ON ADDING MORE TIME ON FOR SEX OFFENDERS CRIMES AND NOBODY IS SMART ENOUGH TO SEE ALL MEN ARE GETTING BLAMED AND WOMAN ARE NEVER GETTING PUT IN FOR ANYTHING WRONG THERE AT JUST AS MUCH FAULT AS ANYONE ELSE.THE WORD SEX OFFENDER IS NASTY WORD MEANING THAT THEY MAKE IT SOUND LIKE ALL MEN JUST GO RAPING AND SEXULLY MOLESTING LITTLE GIRLS AND THATS NOT THE CASE I PRAY SOMEONE PUTS A STOP TO THIS BECAUSE IF THE SYSTEM ONLY OPENED THERE EYES THERE NOT ALL LIKE THIS AND FOR THEM TO BE OUT IN SOCIETY AND BE TREATED THE WAY THIS IS CRIMINAL IN MY EYES.YOU CAN SAY HOW ARE THEY GOING TO LEARN BUT LOOK AT SOCIETY KNOW WOMAN DRESS THE WAY THEY WANT TO AND ITS OK INCLUDING THE YOUNG TO ME THATS ADVERTISING FOR THESE ACTIONS TO TAKE PLACE MY OPINION AND ITS THE RIGHT ONE IN MY EYES.THIS IS ALL DONE BY MONEY AND ITS NOT RIGHT THESE WOMAN CAN JUST DO THIS.100 PERCENT OF THE TIME WOMAN WILL WIN THAT SHOULD OPEN SOMEONES EYES.I WILL BE PRAYING FOR A LONG TIME BUT THIS IS WHAT GOES ON.THESE ANKLE BRACELETS ARE KNOWN TO BE FAULTY AND THEY GET THROWN BACK IN JAIL AND PRISON SYSTEM THIS IS REDICULOUS.

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  2. Jamie,

    Some questions and observations. The ruling came down August 16th. A source informed me that DPS stopped swapping the old devices for the new ones (they were in the midst of swapping them on the unsupervised SBM lifers) when the court ruled. Seems to me the relevant entities understood the ruling’s impact immediately, and therefore knew they needed to comply immediately. Second observation is that the mandate of Sep 5 has passed, and 8 days later, approximately 200 recidivists in the category very clearly defined as the group for which the lifetime order has been struck down are still wearing these devices with absolutely zero contact from DPS or any other relevant entities. A work order has to be filled within 24 hours by the contract installers once issued. All it takes is a data-entry screen and maybe 120 seconds to enter an order related to a device – so why is DPS still out of compliance with a court order over a week later? What court action do 200 recidivist “enrollees” take if the highest court in the state – the final decisionmaker on matters of state law – has already taken the ultimate step and mandated that DPS remove these subjects from SBM as of September 5, when it is now September 13th?

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    • I am one of these that the mandate apply to and it’s now the 29th of September and I am still wearing the monitor. I have called Scott Payne over the bracelet at dps and he can’t seem to tell me any thing at at all. My appeal lawyer has filed a motion to stay to try and have it removed immediately and 2 weeks later still nothing. I was told by Scott Payne at dps that they have put everything on hold and are waiting to see if the attorney general is going to appeal the decision. I can tell you first hand that living with this device strapped to my leg 24-7 is hell. Who ever claims you only have to charge it 2 hours a day is full of it . I have to charge the device twice a day for 2 to 3 hours at a time. I have a raw spot on my ankle from the chaveing and when it’s being charged it over heats and burns my leg. Not to mention this is the 4th device in a year because of of the others malfunctioning and not charging properly. My next step is a lawsuit against the state of north Carolina.

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  3. Yes Scott also said we are having to wait on the Attorney General to see if he will file an appeal back to the U.S. supreme court. He has 90 days from the day of the ruling to do so. Today is Oct 1st. Ruling was Aug 6th. So Im assuming like 35 more days. If he doesn’t appeal which praying he won’t, the state must immediatly send someone out to remove the monitors. If they lolly gag Im sure many law suits will start to appear.

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  4. To those posting conflicting information about whether the AG plans to appeal, or not: Who told you this, and when? The person you reference (poor guy, he is just the messenger, I am sure he doesn’t want his name out there) who told two of you they are waiting to see when the AG may appeal, when did he tell you that? That was the answer in the month of August, prior to the Sep 5th mandate being “live.” Information from his former colleague – a gentleman who has been promoted within DPS – according to a former registrant who was monitored by him – claims that gentleman told him the AG has NO plans to appeal, as of roughly 2 weeks ago, and they were “working through some stuff” with their attorneys and that the monitors should be coming off “within a week.” That was 2 weeks ago. Two things: if it means working through roughly 200 files that say nothing more than”recidivist,” I can’t imagine it takes even one attorney who is overwhelmed with other work to do so in more than a week, which has long passed. Second, back to appeal. Why would the AG even bother fighting this battle? The AG DID appeal – and the US Supreme court ruled SBM was a search under the 4th amendment. The ruling remanded Grady back to North Carolina for the state Supreme Court to rule on whether the state’s SBM search program was “reasonable.” They ruled that it was NOT reasonable, as far as applying to recidivists. Case closed, at least for recidivists who are not labeled SVP, or who have not committed an offense against someone 12 or younger. The US Supreme court did its work and North Carolina clarified its position – and that should be that. This is a losing battle for the AG, and they are up to their necks in lawsuits against Juul and other high-profile issues. Would the AG rather tie up the courts with 200 hearings? Hearings that, in every case prior to Grady in the Court of Appeals (2015) and since have ended up with the judge signing off on the devices being removed? If I were the AG, I’d look to the NC Legislature (even though they vote with emotion and not with fact in these cases) about revisiting SBM specifics as applied to people on community supervision, for crimes committed after any future legislation could be enacted (Oct 2020, 2021) and stop barking up the wrong tree with regard to trying to defend and perpetuate a court-declared dead statute in the form of trying to supervise people who are no longer ON supervision!

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    • Dear Dan ! If you read the post clearly you would know the Scott payne that works for the sex offender division is the guy who told us that they had to wait to see if the AG was going to appeal..however yet again its October 23rd and I’m still wearing the ankle monitor. So if you seem to know more than us the one’s having to wear it …please enlighten us. I have called dps numerous times to speak with those in charge and all I get is the run around. Poor guy ? These poor guys like mr Scott Payne and boby Jones need to do there jobs. Am in touch with the ACLU and several other layers to file a civil lawsuit against dps ..poor NC and the dps ..

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  5. I have a question regarding the satellite based monitoring system in nc and the people that are on it. My question is are they going to remove the monitor from all or just the recidivist ones.

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    • My attorney is currently filing a suit. With this new LOC8 you can’t get in the water or it fries the unit & battery. I went trout fishing & slipped off a rock & they came out & put another one on. It has been hurting my ankle, leaving blisters, chafing, leaving scars & now I can’t go swimming, tubing, boating or even take a tub bath. After almost 8 years of being on it, I’ve completed therapy, restitution, probation & I’ve not re-offended. With the Grady verdict why am I still on it? It’s unconstitutional!!

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  6. Question to Mr. Markham. Who in UNC LAw Clinic can answer some questions in regards to Lifetime SBM after Parole? I feel they are important questions for all SBM persons in North Carolina.

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