Jury Rules Bexar County Sheriff’s AI-Powered Traffic Stop Program Unconstitutional

A federal jury in San Antonio concluded that the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (Bexar County Sheriff's Office (BCSO)) violated the Fourth Amendment by operating a pretextual traffic-stop program that relied on artificial-intelligence (AI) surveillance. The jury awarded plaintiff Alek Schott $76—one dollar for each minute he was detained without lawful cause.

San Antonio Current

On March 16, 2022, Deputy Joel Babb pulled Schott’s truck off Interstate 35, claiming the driver had drifted across a lane line. Body-camera footage shows Babb ordering Schott to sit in the cruiser’s passenger seat while he “did your warning.”

Reason

When Schott refused a vehicle search, Babb summoned a K-9 unit. The dog was directed to the truck, produced a “positive alert,” and officers proceeded to ransack the vehicle for the next 40 minutes. No contraband or evidence of wrongdoing was found. Schott’s dash-cam footage later confirmed he never crossed a lane line.

Reason

The stop was part of BCSO’s Criminal Interdiction Unit, which employed a statewide network of AI-powered license-plate readers known as the “Flock” program. The system flagged plates that exhibited “abnormal” travel patterns, prompting deputies to initiate pretextual stops. According to senior attorney Josh Windham of the Institute for Justice, an anonymous tip entered through a WhatsApp “Northwest Highway Group” chat—attributed to a contact known only as “Kiki” from a federal fusion center—triggered the alert on Schott’s plate.

Reason

After the stop, Schott filed a complaint with BCSO internal affairs, which dismissed his concerns and suggested he file a lawsuit. Represented by the Institute for Justice, Schott sued, alleging systematic Fourth Amendment violations. The jury’s verdict affirms that officers must have a genuine belief that a driver is committing a crime before detaining or searching, a standard the court found BCSO failed to meet.

Reason

Josh Windham reiterated that the program’s reliance on AI surveillance and anonymous tips created a de facto dragnet, violating constitutional protections. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office did not provide comment to reporters.

San Antonio Current

• The “Flock” program operated for four years, generating pretextual stops for “thousands of drivers.”

Reason

• Schott’s detention lasted 76 minutes, resulting in a $76 award.

Reason

The ruling signals judicial scrutiny of AI-enhanced law-enforcement tools that generate probable-cause claims without individualized suspicion. It underscores the requirement that surveillance technologies be paired with concrete, articulable reasons before infringing on constitutional rights, potentially reshaping how agencies deploy mass-surveillance systems nationwide.

Reason

• “This is a major win for freedom of travel and constitutional rights," Schott said during Wednesday's press conference.” — Alek Schott

Reason

• “After the stop, I filed a complaint with the Sheriff’s Office because I knew what happened to me was wrong,” — Alek Schott

San Antonio Current

• “This is what mass surveillance looks like when it reaches the shoulder of the highway,” — Josh Windham, nonprofit's senior attorney

San Antonio Current

• “This unit ran thousands of drivers through that routine — humiliating, invasive interrogations and searches of people who had done nothing wrong,” — Josh Windham, nonprofit's senior attorney

San Antonio Current