WLIA – Hour 1

2023 WLIA Conference Workshop

Workshop 3 – Legal Issues in GIS

Presenter: Chris Dunn, GeoVelo Geospatial Forensics

Where: Kalahari Resort, 1305 Kalahari Drive Baraboo, WI 53913 United States – Marula Room

When: Wednesday, February 22, 2023 8:00 AM (CST) to 11:30 (CST

Hour 1: Geospatial Case Law:  With a special focus on YOUR personal legal liability, copyrights, contracts, open records, and more.

Hour 2: The Many Ways Geospatial People End Up in Court: 1) Making embarrassing mistakes; 2) You are the GeoExpert; 3) You made the geospatial demonstratives for court; and over twelve more ways.

Hour 3: Geofence Warrants (an emerging legal issue): Geofence warrants have proven to be an effective tool to help prosecutors and police make their case, often when no other evidence leads to a suspect. They are the latest intersection between the geospatial profession and law enforcement. In some jurisdictions prosecutors petition judges to authorize warrants which scrutinize one or more national location databases, containing location records of every citizen in the US with a smartphone.  Many legal scholars say it’s the details of how those data are obtained from the warrant, selected, processed, and then presented in court which may, or may not, offend long-established Constitutional protections found under the 4th and 5th Amendments. We’ll avoid politics in this session and focus on how a Geofence Warrant might affect you professionally.  

Q&A: I love questions and you can ask them at any time during our session.  So, please bring your questions to the conference or email them ahead of time to Chris (.) Dunn @ Geo Velo (.) com

The Obligatory Legal Disclaimers

Public Sector Disclaimer: If you work for a public sector employer your organization* already has an attorney. If what you hear or learn today differs from what your attorney says – he or she is correct, and I am wrong. *This attorney is not at all concerned with protecting your personal legal interests.

Private Sector Disclaimer: The Missouri rules of professional conduct require us to remind you that; the choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. And I don’t want to be your attorney.

Wisconsin Land Information Case Law

  • State ex rel. Markarian v. Cudahy, 173 NW 2d 627, 45 Wis. 2d 683 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1970 –
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      • … The “best information” of such value is a sale of the property or if there has been no such sale then sales of reasonably comparable … He testified that land north of his property on the …
      • Cited by 62

  • Abbott Laboratories v. Norse Chemical Corp., 33 Wis. 2d 445, 147 NW 2d 529 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1967
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    • … is only attempting to sell to this market and Abbott’s customer information, in view of … Unjust enrichment, however, requires a wrongful taking or appropriation of others’ property to one’s …
    • Cited by 138

  • Scott v. SAVERS PROPERTY AND CAS. INS. CO., 663 NW 2d 715, 262 Wis. 2d 127, 2003 WI 60 – Wis: Supreme Court, 2003
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    • … in the Stevens Point Area Public School District, provided them with anaccurate information about National … Point Area Public School District and its insurer, Savers Property and Casualty …
    • Cited by 98

  • Prah v. Maretti, 321 NW 2d 182, 108 Wis. 2d 223, 108 Wis … – Wis: Supreme Court, 1982
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    • … by hand a notice to the owner of any property which the … The information on the form may include, without limitation because of … of the applicant, and the address of the land upon which …
    • Cited by 489

  • Ollerman v. O’Rourke Co., Inc., 288 NW 2d 95, 94 Wis. 2d 17 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1980 – Google Scholar
    • … tenant is a purchaser of an estate in land and is … failing to exercise reasonable care in supplying correct information is not … chattels that imperil the security of persons or property or other …
    • Cited by 329

  • Waste Management v. Kenosha County Rev. Bd., 516 NW 2d 695, 184 Wis. 2d 541 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1994
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    • … the value per acre by examining statewide sales of comparable lands … Together, the value of the three parcels of land was thus … agreed that the highest and best use of this property is as …
    • Cited by 48

  • ADAMS OUTDOOR v. City of Madison, 717 NW 2d 803, 2006 WI 104, 294 Wis. 2d … – Wis: Supreme Court, 2006
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    • … Buildings upon leased lands, if such buildings have not been included in the assessment of the land on which … They include the intellectual property that is essential to creativity …
    • Cited by 90

  • Darcel v. Manitowoc Review Bd., 405 NW 2d 344, 137 Wis. 2d 623 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1987
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    • … in the manner specified in the Wisconsin property assessment manual … from actual view or from the best information that the … valuable deposits in any parcel of land are unascertained …
    • Cited by 44

  • Bump v. Dahl, 26 Wis. 2d 607, 133 NW 2d 295 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1965
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    • … of land has three sources of information which he … On the problem generally, see Van Alstyne, Land Transfer and … that a purchaser knows every conveyance of property recorded which …
    • Cited by 56

  • IN RE MARRIAGE OF COOK v. Cook, 560 NW 2d 246, 208 Wis. 2d 166, 208 Wi 2d … – Wis: Supreme …, 1997
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    • … of these determinations and to purposes underlying the broad legislative authorization that the circuit court consider relevant financial information in dividing the property and setting the …
    • Cited by 861

  • Just v. Marinette County, 201 NW 2d 761, 56 Wis. 2d 7, 56 Wis. 7 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1972
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    • … county is constitutional; that the Justs’ property constitutes wetlands … The regulations shall relate to lands under, abutting or lying … building sites, placement of structure and land uses and …
    • Cited by 1658

  • ST. EX REL. LEVINE v. FOX POINT REVIEW BD., 528 NW 2d 424, 191 Wis. 2d 363 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1995
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    • … the board reduced by $45,100 the 1991 assessed value of the improvements to the Yales’ land …373 The `best information’ of such [fair market] value is a sale of the property or, if …
  • Cited by 29

  • Rosen v. Milwaukee, 242 NW 2d 681, 72 Wis. 2d 653 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1976
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    • … the actual cost of construction and the actual cost of the land … a sale of the property in question the sale of “reasonably comparable” property provides the “best information” of market …
    • Cited by 51

  • IN RE MARRIAGE OF DERR v. Derr, 696 NW 2d 170, 280 Wis. 2d 681, 2005 WI … – Wis: Court of …, 2005
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    • … inherited funds; court could have relied on that information to deviate … spouse’s efforts to maintain and improve the property did not … was attributable to increased value of the land alone) …
    • Cited by 64

  • Jacque v. Steenberg Homes, Inc., 563 NW 2d 154, 209 Wis. 2d 605 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1997 –
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    • … The Jacques were sensitive about allowing others on their land because they had lost property valued at over $10,000 to other neighbors in an adverse possession action in the mid …
    • Cited by 483

  • State v. Loomis, 881 NW 2d 749, 2016 WI 68, 371 Wis. 2d 235 – Wis: Supreme Court, 2016
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    • … treatment. [14] The COMPAS risk assessment is based upon information gathered from
      the defendant’s criminal file and an interview with the defendant. ¶ 14 …
    • Cited by 1097

  • Everson v. Lorenz, 2005 WI 51, 695 NW 2d 298, 280 Wis. 2d 1 – Wis: Supreme Court, 2005
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    • … Lorenz, a real estate developer, purchased vacant land in Brillion, Wisconsin in 1997 … It is clear that Lorenz intended to give Everson information as to whether the property was within …
    • Cited by 76

  • IN RE MARRIAGE OF BUTTON v. Button, 388 NW 2d 546, 131 Wis. 2d 84 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1986
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    • … This is an appeal from a judgment of the circuit court for Walworth county, Circuit Judge Robert D. Read, dividing property upon divorce in accordance with the terms of a written property …
    • Cited by 165 

  • State ex rel. Geipel v. Milwaukee, 229 NW 2d 585, 68 Wis. 2d 726 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1975
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    • … in the manner specified in the Wisconsin property assessment manual … from actual view or from the best information that the … valuable deposits in any parcel of land are unascertained …
    • Cited by 45

Wisconsin Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Case Law

  • DeCleene v. TEUTEBERG, Dist. Court, ED Wisconsin, 2010
    • Google Scholar
    • … The County uses Geographic Information System (“GIS”) coordinates, certified survey maps, and …is employed by Oconto County as the Land Information Systems (“LIS”) Administrator …

  • Whitford v. Gill, 218 F. Supp. 3d 837 – Dist. Court, WD Wisconsin, 2016
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    • … [69] These 853 also contained information on how … elections, which tend to favor parties with wider geographic reach … Mr. Trende also testified to the political geography of Wisconsin itself …
    • Cited by 265

  • Fischer v. Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, 207 F. Supp. 2d 914 – Dist. Court, WD Wisconsin, 2002
    • Google Scholar
    • … of data, a program, a system, or information that … a dictionary and determined that “`a place’ is geographical” and “does … that the plain meaning of the word “place” is geographic in nature …
    • Cited by 118 

  • Bar Code Resources v. Ameritech, Inc.
  • 599 NW 2d 872, 229 Wis. 2d 287 – Wis: Court of Appeals, 1999 – Google Scholar
  • … Ameritech Information Systems, Inc., appeals from the trial court judgment granting default
    judgment to … server to conclude that someone outside of the immediate geographical office of …
  • Save Cite Cited by 8 How cited

  • Collins v. Eli Lilly & Co.
  • 342 NW 2d 37, 116 Wis. 2d 166, 116 Wis. 166 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1984 – Google Scholar
  • … more information or potential access to relevant information than does … to DES or in the relevant
    geographical market area … shift the burden of proof on time and geographic distribution to …
  • Save Cite Cited by 721 How cited

  • Thomas v. Mallett
  • 701 NW 2d 523, 285 Wis. 2d 236, 2005 WI … – Wis: Supreme Court, 2005 – Google Scholar
  • … that given children’s rapidly developing nervous systems, “[c]hildren … the LIA produced book entitled,
    Useful Information About Lead … to DES or in the relevant geographical market area in …
  • Save Cite Cited by 223 How cited All 2 versions

  • IDX Systems Corp. v. Epic Systems Corp.
  • 165 F. Supp. 2d 812 – Dist. Court, WD Wisconsin, 2001 – Google Scholar
  • … reasonable and need not include geographic or temporal … relate solely to theft of confidential
    information and trade … including the product’s design, processes, systems and organization …
  • Save Cite Cited by 29 How cited

  • Just v. Marinette County
  • 201 NW 2d 761, 56 Wis. 2d 7, 56 Wis. 7 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1972 – Google Scholar
  • 56 Wis.2d 7 (1972). 201 NW2d 761. JUST and wife, Appellants, v. MARINETTE COUNTY,
    Respondent: STATE, Impleaded Respondent. MARINETTE …
  • Save Cite Cited by 1658 How cited

  • Custodian of Records v. State
  • 680 NW 2d 792, 272 Wis. 2d 208, 2004 WI 65 – Wis: Supreme Court, 2004 – Google Scholar
  • … and PowerPoint; bill drafting software; geographic information systems; publishing systems … Blue
    Book; hunting systems support; and … of the data and information originated, maintained …
  • Save Cite Cited by 32 How cited

Wisconsin GIS Data Case law

  • Whitford v. Gill
  • 218 F. Supp. 3d 837 – Dist. Court, WD Wisconsin, 2016 – Google Scholar
  • … advantage because of an error in the data for the 2006 … model that estimated partisanship for each
    geographic area, so … in his model, Professor Mayer “used a GIS redistricting program …
  • Save Cite Cited by 265 How cited All 2 versions

  • Hunter of Wisconsin, Inc. v. Hamilton
  • 304 NW 2d 752, 101 Wis. 2d 460 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1981 – Google Scholar
  • … territorial limitation of a restrictive covenant need not be expressed in geographic terms as … Hays
    had access to vital information about customer 469 names, policy data, and expiration …
  • Save Cite Cited by 107 How cited

  • WIREdata, Inc. v. Village of Sussex
  • 729 NW 2d 757, 2007 WI App 22, 298 Wis. 2d … – Wis: Court of …, 2007 – Google Scholar
  • … program, in conjunction with a Microsoft database program (Microsoft … the proper assessments
    for each parcel within the … Listing Service, Inc., sought to obtain data regarding specific …
  • Save Cite Cited by 12 How cited All 2 versions

  • Johnson v. Kokemoor
  • 545 NW 2d 495, 199 Wis. 2d 615, 199 Wis. 3d … – Wis: Supreme …, 1996 – Google Scholar
  • … relating to provider-specific risk information, even when that provider-specific data is geared to …
    formidable lesion and that there are people in the immediate geographic vicinity that are …
  • Save Cite Cited by 342 How cited

  • State ex rel. Markarian v. Cudahy
  • 173 NW 2d 627, 45 Wis. 2d 683 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1970 – Google Scholar
  • … The property in question is a parcel of land on the southwest corner of Ramsey avenue and Illinois
    avenue in the city of Cudahy with a frontage on Ramsey of 295 feet and a frontage on …
  • Save Cite Cited by 62 How cited

  • WNS HOLDINGS, LLC v. United Parcel Service, Inc.
  • Dist. Court, WD Wisconsin, 2009 – Google Scholar
  • … TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC., and MARK ALAN EBERWINE, Plaintiffs, v. UNITED
    PARCEL SERVICE, INC … 2. Claim 1 of ‘366 Patent: the term “data link” is construed as …
  • Save Cite

  • WNS HOLDINGS, LLC v. United Parcel Service, Inc.
  • Dist. Court, WD Wisconsin, 2009 – Google Scholar
  • … maneuver from said first vehicle to said second vehicle through said data link; and … As a package
    delivery company, defendant United Parcel Service has its own aircraft operations to …
  • Save Cite

  • Tatge v. Chambers & Owen, Inc.
  • 579 NW 2d 217, 219 Wis. 2d 99, 219 Wis. 99 – Wis: Supreme Court, 1998 – Google Scholar
  • … Employee recognizes and acknowledges that the customer data, programs, and business
    practices used or … or other entity located within the Employers [sic] geographic service area …
  • Save Cite Cited by 108 How cited

  • Hodge v. STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
  • Wis: Court of Appeals, 4th Dist., 2012 – Google Scholar
  • … The condemned land was part of Hodge’s larger 148-acre parcel … More specifically, Schroeder
    testified that she used data shown on GIS maps and that she consulted with a …
  • Save Cite