A photo included in the ACLU lawsuit shows aerial images obtained by drones flown by Sonoma County code enforcement officers. (Sonoma County via ACLU)
Key points:
- Plaintiffs claim program involves hundreds of warrantless drone flights over people’s homes, violating privacy rights.
- “This horrible experience has shattered my sense of privacy and security.” – Nichola Schmitz, plaintiff and Sonoma County resident
- “We all have the right to go about our lives in privacy in and around our homes without having to worry about a government drone flying overhead and recording us without a warrant or our knowledge.” – Matt Cagle, senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Northern California
SANTA ROSA, CA – The ACLU Foundation of Northern California and law firm O’Melveny & Myers LLP filed suit in Sonoma County Superior Court in early June, alleging that the county’s code enforcement agency has operated an illegal drone surveillance program for years.
The plaintiffs claim that the program involves hundreds of warrantless aerial drone flights over people’s homes, violating the California Constitution’s protections against unreasonable searches and its guarantee of personal privacy…