A federal judge ruled that a sheriff's deputy violated a woman's Fourth Amendment rights by searching her travel history through Flock Safety's license plate reader system without a warrant.

The Oct. 1 decision out of Oklahoma carries weight for Cornelius, where a draft Flock contract is under review and a police officer was fired this summer after the system was allegedly misused.

U.S. District Judge Sara Hill, in the Northern District of Oklahoma, suppressed evidence in United States v. Melisa Susan Kyle. Tulsa County Deputy Freddie Alaniz had searched Kyle's vehicle in the Flock database with "no apparent reason other than the fact that it had a California license plate," according to TechCrunch. The search returned more than 50 sightings across multiple states over roughly a month.

Hill called it "indiscriminate mass surveillance."

The ruling does not set binding precedent. Hill acknowledged she was taking a minority position. Most federal courts that have examined license plate reader technology have found it does not amount to a search under the Fourth Amendment, Military.com reported.

North Carolina's State Bureau of Investigation reported that 140 roadside cameras recorded more than 152 million license plates during the state's Automated License Plate Reader pilot program. The program became permanent in July, according to Queen City News.

In Cornelius, the debate is already underway. At the Board of Commissioners meeting on May 18, resident Lauri David of Windshore Avenue urged the board to halt installation of Flock cameras. David cited mass surveillance and Fourth Amendment concerns, pointing to Hillsborough and Pittsboro, two North Carolina towns that terminated their Flock contracts, according to meeting minutes.

Commissioner Osborne responded that the board should be informed on data ownership, retention periods and contract sunset provisions as the contract develops. Town Manager Grant said the draft Flock contract was under review by staff and town attorneys. No subsequent vote or contract execution has appeared in public records.

Former Cornelius police officer Edward Florentino was dismissed Aug. 21 after an internal investigation tied to the arrest of his girlfriend, Mooresville police officer Elizabeth Snowman. Snowman is accused of using Mooresville's Flock system to track Florentino's ex-wife, Cornelius Today reported.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has used license plate readers since 2006. CMPD does not use Flock devices but maintains a memorandum of understanding giving officers access to Flock cameras owned by other agencies, according to WCNC Charlotte. Some Charlotte-area towns have already canceled Flock contracts.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson sent a letter to Flock Safety around Oct. 4 asking about the company's data access policies and retention timelines, WFAE reported. In Congress, the Ban Flock Act was introduced Oct. 2 by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sens. Bernie Sanders and Jeff Merkley. The bill would bar federal agencies from using license plate reader data and cut funding to states without similar bans.

Cornelius has not announced a next step on its Flock contract. Davidson and Huntersville's current use of the technology could not be confirmed from public records.