Man's Pacemaker Data May Sink Him in Court

A judge in Ohio has decided that data from the pacemaker of a man accused of setting his Ohio house on fire in 2016 can be presented as evidence at his trial, reports the AP. The Hamilton-Middletown Journal News reports that the judge ruled Tuesday in Ross Compton's case. The 59-year-old Middletown man has pleaded not guilty to aggravated arson and insurance fraud charges.

Police say Compton described packing belongings when he saw the fire, throwing them out of a window and carrying them to his car. Investigators say a cardiologist reviewed Compton's cardiac device and concluded his medical condition made the actions he described "highly improbable." Ross's attorney had argued that the data should be thrown out because searching the device violated Compton's constitutional rights, but the judge disagreed. (More pacemakers stories.)