A federal jury in Texas ruled for a Houston driver who sued Bexar County and its sheriff over a traffic stop that began with a license plate reader alert. Ars Technica reported that the jury awarded the driver, Alek Schott, $76. That is one dollar for each of the 76 minutes he was detained, and it is the amount Schott asked for.
What happened during the stop?
Schott was driving home from a work trip to Carrizo Springs in March 2022 when a Bexar County deputy, Joel Babb, pulled him over for "lane drifting." Babb later admitted that reason was bogus.
The real reason, the complaint says, was a tip Babb got in a law enforcement WhatsApp group. The tip came from someone named "Kiki," who allegedly worked with a federal fusion center in Laredo and apparently had near real-time access to plate reader data. Kiki described Schott's trip as a "one-day turnaround," meaning he drove from Houston, stayed one night in Carrizo Springs and drove home the next day.
Babb waited for Schott's truck to pass his location and then pulled it over. He said during the stop that he was on the "Criminal Interdiction Unit." Schott was held for 76 minutes while the truck was searched. Officers found nothing, despite a drug dog's alert.
What did the jury decide?
Schott's dashcam showed he never drifted lanes, according to the Institute for Justice, which represented him. The group also says the deputy's bodycam shows Schott gave calm answers about his trip, and that the handler's bodycam shows he signaled the dog before it alerted.
Schott's lawyers say the Institute for Justice will now ask the court to bar Bexar County from using baseless traffic stops as a basis for warrantless searches. Ars Technica does not say when that request will be decided.
Who has criticized plate reader stops?
Jake Laperruque, deputy director of the Center for Democracy and Technology's Security and Surveillance Project, wrote to Ars Technica that AI tools sold with promises of public safety "often face a tough reality check." He said plate readers create "serious dangers for Americans' civil liberties," and that drivers can be improperly pulled over without strong guardrails.
What changes for drivers?
This ruling is about one stop in Bexar County. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office, which promotes its use of Flock Safety cameras, declined Ars Technica's request for comment. Ars Technica does not say whether the department will change how it uses plate reader alerts for traffic stops.
The Institute for Justice says it will work to enforce the precedent across the state. It also does not say how many stops in the county have started with a plate reader alert. To see where cameras are, check the camera map. For background on how the systems work, read how plate readers work.