By FOX23 News
TULSA COUNTY, Okla. — A federal judge in Oklahoma ruled that a deputy violated the Fourth Amendment by searching a vehicle’s month-long location history through automated license plate reader databases without a warrant.
The case involves a Tulsa County deputy who searched a rental car’s records through Flock and “Vehicle Manager,” finding more than 50 sightings across several states.
The judge suppressed evidence from the search, saying detailed tracking of a person’s movements requires greater privacy protections.
The ruling does not ban license plate readers, but focuses on extended warrantless tracking.
We reached out to the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, which said this is an ongoing legal case and referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for comment.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said they’re reviewing the court’s decision and evaluating the next steps, and also said the system remains in use and this ruling is limited to the specific fact patterns of this particular case.
