Judge dismisses case alleging use of Flock cameras in Virginia city is unconstitutional

A Virginia federal judge ruled that the warrantless use of 176 Flock automated license plate reader cameras in Norfolk is constitutional and dismissed the plaintiffs’ Fourth Amendment challenge. The court found the camera network not sufficiently pervasive to constitute unconstitutional tracking, and the Institute for Justice said it will appeal. #FlockSafety #InstituteForJustice

Keypoints

A federal judge ruled Norfolk’s 176 Flock ALPR cameras lawful and dismissed the case.
Plaintiffs argued the cameras violated the Fourth Amendment, but the court found the network not extensive enough to be unconstitutional.
The opinion relied on Carpenter v. United States and Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle to compare surveillance scopes.
Discovery showed one plaintiff’s car was captured 475 times over four months, but the court emphasized wide spacing and time gaps between captures.
The Institute for Justice will appeal, and several other cities have recently ended contracts with Flock amid privacy concerns.