A federal jury in Texas awarded Alek Schott $76 after finding that Bexar County deputies stopped him based on a bogus traffic violation. The stop was triggered by an automated license plate reader (ALPR) tip from an anonymous law enforcement contact, not by any actual driving infraction.
Schott was driving home from a work trip in March 2022 when a deputy pulled him over for "lane drifting." Bodycam and dashcam footage later showed he never drifted. The deputy had received a WhatsApp message from someone named "Kiki" who had access to ALPR data and flagged Schott's truck for a "one-day turnaround." During the 76-minute detention, a drug dog alerted after its handler signaled it, but a search found nothing.
The jury gave Schott the symbolic $76 he requested—one dollar per minute detained. His attorneys, from the Institute for Justice, said the case was about the Constitution and plan to ask the court to enjoin Bexar County from using baseless traffic stops for warrantless searches. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office, which uses Flock Safety cameras, declined comment.
The case adds to growing scrutiny of ALPR technology. A surveillance expert quoted in the article said such tools create civil liberties dangers and public safety risks if not properly guarded. For vendors like Flock Safety, the verdict illustrates how their products can become entangled in lawsuits and reputational damage.