Texas Jury Awards $76 to Driver After Questionable ALPR-Based Traffic Stop and Drug Search

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A Texas jury awarded a man $76 after a license plate reader-based suspicious activity tip led to a traffic stop and unfounded drug search. The case highlights concerns over mass surveillance and misuse of automated license plate readers by law enforcement.

In a recent federal case in Texas, a jury sided with Alek Schott, a Houston resident who sued Bexar County and its sheriff following an allegedly unconstitutional traffic stop enabled by AI-powered automated license plate readers (ALPRs). The jury awarded Schott $76, a symbolic amount corresponding to the 76 minutes he was detained during the stop.

The incident occurred in March 2022 when Schott was driving home from a work trip. Deputy Joel Babb pulled him over in Bexar County—around San Antonio—initially citing lane drifting as the reason. However, Babb later admitted this justification was fabricated. The real trigger for the stop was a tip received through a law enforcement WhatsApp group from someone called "Kiki," associated with a federal fusion center in Laredo, who had near real-time ALPR data access.

Kiki flagged Schott’s vehicle for a "one-day turnaround" trip, which authorities regarded as indicative of smuggling activity. Schott's calm and routine responses during questioning, verified by his dashcam and the deputy’s bodycam footage, showed no suspicious behavior. Despite this, a drug-sniffing dog was called and alerted on the truck shortly before the handler signaled it to do so. Subsequent searches found no illegal substances.

The Institute for Justice, representing Schott, characterized the event as a travesty of civil liberties, calling the search baseless. Following the verdict, they indicated plans to seek a court injunction to prevent Bexar County from using unfounded traffic stops as a pretext for warrantless searches and to advocate for stronger protections statewide.

Critics of ALPR technology emphasize this case as emblematic of broader issues surrounding mass surveillance and AI-based policing tools. Jake Laperruque from the Center on Democracy and Technology noted the potential civil liberties dangers when such systems are applied without proper safeguards, leading to wrongful stops and police misconduct.

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, known for utilizing Flock Safety cameras, declined to comment on the lawsuit. The case underlines increasing scrutiny over the deployment of ALPRs and reflects wider debates about surveillance technology's impact on privacy and justice.