Overview
- Charles Brownlee, who was convicted in March 2025 of five armed robberies, argued in an appeal that law enforcement’s use of Flock automated license‑plate reader data amounted to a prohibitive general search when the case was argued on October 5.
- Brownlee is serving a 720‑month sentence imposed on July 18, 2025, and his lawyers say prosecutors relied on Flock scans to reconstruct his vehicle movements and link him to the robberies.
- The Justice Department told the appeals court that Flock records are episodic public observations of plates seen on public roads and do not amount to continuous surveillance that would require a warrant.
- Flock operates a large camera network that logs plate numbers, times and locations; reporting and court records show problems including cross‑jurisdictional searches, officer misuse and at least one federal judge in Oklahoma finding such use unconstitutional.
- Cities and lawmakers have reacted by pausing or limiting Flock contracts and pressing for tighter rules on retention and searches, and the Fifth Circuit’s decision could shape what access and oversight police must follow going forward.