A Houston man’s rights were violated during a 2022 traffic stop in Bexar County, Texas, a jury ruled on Monday. Alek Schott was pulled over for drifting out of his lane, but dash cam video from his car appears to show him staying in his lane the whole time. The stop lasted 76 minutes, and Schott was released empty-handed. He now gets $76 in damages — a dollar for every minute he was held.
Schott was driving back from an overnight work trip in Carrizo Springs, about an hour from the Mexico border, when a Bexar County Deputy stopped him in March 2022. The deputy told him he was pulled over for drifting out of his lane. Dash cam footage from Schott’s car appears to show otherwise.
The Stop That Lasted 76 Minutes
The deputy asked Schott to come to his cruiser to write up a warning. Once there, the questioning turned personal. The deputy asked where Schott had been, who he had been with, and about drugs. Then came the specific questions.
“Do you have anything in your vehicle you’re not supposed to have? Do you have any marijuana in the vehicle? Any cocaine?” the deputy asked.
Schott refused a vehicle search. At that point, a K-9 was brought out, his vehicle was searched, and law enforcement confirmed there was nothing in the car. Schott was released.
Schott said he felt like the deputies had crossed a line. Christie Hebert, one of Schott’s lawyers with the Institute for Justice, said their investigation found license plate reading cameras flagged Schott’s quick trip to the border as suspicious. She also said law enforcement coordinated the traffic stop through a group chat.
What the Jury Found
On Monday, a jury found Bexar County violated Schott’s Fourth Amendment rights three times. He was awarded $76 in damages, a dollar for every minute he was held by law enforcement.
“This case is about far more than money; it’s about holding the police accountable and protecting that right under the Fourth Amendment to be secure in your person and in your effects, your car.”
The Lawyers Weigh In
Hebert argued the case is about holding the police accountable and protecting Fourth Amendment rights. She framed the stop as a routine journey made suspicious by technology that flagged a border trip as out of the ordinary.
Frigerio, the lawyer representing Bexar County, said the county plans to file post-trial motions and explore an appeal after the court files its final judgment. The case is not over, and neither side has given up.
Why This Case Matters
The case raises a question that affects anyone who drives near a border: how much suspicion is enough to pull someone over? Schott was not caught doing anything wrong. He was simply returning from a work trip when a camera flagged his route as suspicious.
The dash cam video supports his account. He stayed in his lane. The deputy’s questions about drugs and illegal items suggest the stop was not about safety. It was about suspicion.
The case is about ordinary travelers being treated as potential smugglers. It is about whether a camera flag is enough to justify a stop. And it is about whether the Constitution protects drivers from searches based on nothing more than a flagged license plate.
For Schott, the verdict is vindication. For Bexar County, it is a warning. The jury found three violations, and the damages reflect the time Schott lost.
The case is a reminder that the Constitution applies to everyone, even those who cross the border. A traffic stop should not become a fishing expedition. And a camera flag should not become a warrant.
Schott was stopped for a reason that the dash cam footage disputes. He was questioned about drugs and illegal items. He was searched. He was released empty-handed. He was awarded a dollar for each minute he was held.
The case is a test of how much suspicion is enough. It is a test of how much power the police can wield. And it is a test of whether the courts will protect the Fourth Amendment.
The jury answered that question on Monday. Now the case moves forward.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs Schott and is against the Bexar County Deputy who violated his rights. A traffic stop should not turn into a fishing expedition, and a camera flag should not serve as a warrant. The dash cam shows Schott stayed in his lane, yet the deputy asked about drugs and illegal items before bringing out a K-9 and searching the car. That questioning went beyond anything Schott did wrong.
The $76 award reflects the 76 minutes Schott lost, a dollar per minute — a small price for a long ordeal. The case matters because it tests how much suspicion is enough to stop a driver. The paper wants the Constitution to apply to everyone, including those who cross the border.
The paper would want the jury’s ruling to stand and for the county to respect it rather than fight it through post-trial motions and appeals. Readers should watch for whether Bexar County treats this verdict as a warning rather than a loss to be overturned.
Source material: “Houston man's rights violated in 2022 Bexar County traffic stop, jury rules,” ABC13 Houston.
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