Brief
Texas inmate seeks to overturn 60‑year robbery sentence over Flock camera surveillance
Brownlee’s legal team says the surveillance violated his constitutional rights.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Charles Brownlee, a 37‑year‑old Texas man serving a 60‑year sentence for five armed robberies, has filed a petition to overturn his conviction, arguing that police relied on data from Flock cameras without a warrant, Mashable reported.
Brownlee was convicted in 2024 after authorities used a network of thousands of Flock license‑plate readers across Dallas‑Fort Worth to create a “pattern of life” linking his vehicle to the robberies. His attorneys contend that the data collection violated the Fourth Amendment and should have been suppressed, citing a recent federal ruling that deemed similar use of Flock databases unconstitutional in a drug‑trafficking case.
The appeal will be heard by the 5th Circuit Court, where Brownlee’s brief emphasizes that the judge who denied his pre‑trial motion to exclude the surveillance data erred.
Key facts
- Charles Brownlee was sentenced to 60 years for five armed robberies in 2024. (mashable.com)
- Brownlee’s legal team argues police used Flock camera data without a warrant. (mashable.com)
- A recent federal judge ruled similar use of Flock databases unconstitutional in a drug‑trafficking case. (mashable.com)
Sources
- [1] mashable.com — originally reported as “Texas man wants 60-year prison sentence overturned due to Flock cameras”
