{"id":3983,"date":"2026-07-12T05:36:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T05:36:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983"},"modified":"2026-07-12T05:36:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T05:36:11","slug":"happy-250th-lets-reclaim-innocent-until-proven-guilty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983","title":{"rendered":"Happy 250th: Let\u2019s reclaim \u2018innocent until proven guilty\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

OPINION:<\/strong><\/p>\n

A 41-year-old Suffolk, Virginia, man named Jeffrey Sovern has been charged with 13 counts of property destruction and a dozen more counts of petit larceny and possession of burglary tools, as he\u2019s accused of damaging dozens of government-installed Flock cameras \u2014 vehicle-tracking devices that capture license plate numbers, as well as make, model, color and other identifying features of cars and trucks \u2014 over the course of several months.<\/p>\n

Read more Nationals pitcher Foster Griffin added to N.L. All-Star roster<\/a><\/p>\n

The cameras scoop data on a warrantless basis.<\/p>\n

In other words: Anyone who drives by is subjected to the surveillance.<\/p>\n

\u201c[They\u2019re] unconstitutional and a violation\u201d of \u201cFourth Amendment rights,\u201d Sovern told investigators during his preliminary hearing on June 27, WAVY.com reported.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s pleaded not guilty.<\/p>\n

His case comes as the U.S. Supreme Court just ruled 6-3 in Chatrie v. United States that law enforcement\u2019s use of geofence warrants \u2014 location data for cellphone users that is maintained by tech companies like Google \u2014 constituted a \u201csearch\u201d and, as such, is guided by the Fourth Amendment. In other words, police can\u2019t just petition Big Tech to turn over batches of records of cellphone users who were in a particular place at a particular time \u2014 records police then used as the basis of identifying suspects.<\/p>\n

Writing for the majority, Justice Elena Kagan said \u201can individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy in records about his cellphone\u2019s location, and police intrude on that constitutionally protected interest when they demand the information \u2014 even though for only a limited time, and from a third-party tech company.\u201d<\/p>\n

If SCOTUS found so on geofence warrants, how much more so that same logic might be applied to Flock cameras.<\/p>\n

On the police side \u2014 law enforcement says the data it scoops from Flock cameras can help track and locate criminals who would otherwise go undetected. Flock Safety, the leading maker of the cameras, estimates its system has helped solve 700,000 crimes annually.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just trying to keep you safe,\u201d Flock defenders say.<\/p>\n

That may be. But Americans are just trying to stay free. And freedom, by nature, carries risks because only the moral and virtuous are capable of self-governance. The more immoral a society, the more government grows its presence as a means of regulating behaviors.<\/p>\n

The key to maintaining liberty is to understand that the roots of tyranny grow and spread in a godless society. As America grows more secular \u2014 as America turns from God and church and traditional values and morals \u2014 so crime spikes and lawlessness spreads and the people cry for government to do something, do something, do something. But since crime is a matter of the heart and soul, and therefore the cure lies in church and with God, government\u2019s attempts to cure societal ills are Band-Aids, at best. Laws are not so necessary for the virtuous.<\/p>\n

Neither is surveillance.<\/p>\n

Spy cameras are aimed at catching criminals, not innocents.<\/p>\n

But Flock cameras capture information on criminals and innocents alike. Are we China? Should we be behaving like the CCP?<\/p>\n

\u201cOpposition mounts to police camera \u2018surveillance state\u2019 in Dallas-Fort Worth,\u201d the Dallas Observer wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cACLU of Massachusetts Releases New Toolkit to Help People Challenge Flock Cameras in Their Communities,\u201d Amherst Indy wrote.<\/p>\n

Read more Bellingham scores twice to lift England past Haaland, Norway and into World Cup semifinals<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cDamaged Flock camera in North Carolina town sparks online debate over surveillance tech,\u201d North Carolina\u2019s WLOS wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore Flock cameras cut down in Houston amid some privacy concerns,\u201d ABC13 Houston wrote.<\/p>\n

And then this one, from USA Today: \u201cFlock camera audit program reveals misuse by Georgia law enforcement\u201d \u2014 a headline above a story on five police officers from Albany who were charged with various violations for allegedly using the license plate data for personal use.<\/p>\n

Those who don\u2019t mind trading freedom for safety and security say that innocent individuals have nothing to worry about \u2014 that those who\u2019ve committed no crimes shouldn\u2019t care if their personal data is collected.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not an argument that belongs in America.<\/p>\n

In America, it\u2019s citizens who hold the power, and government officials, including police, who serve the citizens \u2014 with service defined primarily as defending the Constitution and its bylaws from enemies, both foreign and domestic.<\/p>\n

Rampant, random data collection and surveillance of citizens reverse those roles. Such spying puts citizens in the default category of suspect, and government entities as the gatekeepers of data that could be used as easily for suitable causes, such as convicting criminals.<\/p>\n

The problem is that granting the government the power to collect, hold, disseminate, destroy or sell that data, all without having to do the work of showing a court why that data is needed and for what specific reasons, is asking citizens to put all their trust in government.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m from the government and I\u2019m here to help\u201d \u2014 as Ronald Reagan famously warned, in reference to what he said were the \u201cnine most terrifying words in the English language.\u201d<\/p>\n

Citizens shouldn\u2019t have to ask government for permission to keep certain information private. A rightful role \u2014 a constitutional position \u2014 is for government to ask citizens for permission. And that\u2019s called the Fourth Amendment. That\u2019s called the Fifth Amendment. Better yet, that\u2019s called God-given individual rights and liberties. No time like the 250th to reclaim this core component of our country\u2019s greatness.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast \u201cBold and Blunt\u201d by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, \u201cGod-Given Or Bust: Defeating Marxism and Saving America With Biblical Truths,\u201d is available by clicking HERE.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more Yankees rally late against Nationals with four in 8th inning for third win in row<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The key to maintaining liberty is to understand that the roots of tyranny grow and spread in a godless society. As America grows more secular — as America turns from God and church and traditional values and morals — so crime spikes and lawlessness spreads and government grows.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3982,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,30],"tags":[2045,2385],"class_list":["post-3983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-opinion","tag-flock-safety","tag-jeffrey-sovern"],"yoast_head":"\nHappy 250th: Let\u2019s reclaim \u2018innocent until proven guilty\u2019 - Home Buyer Relocation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Happy 250th: Let\u2019s reclaim \u2018innocent until proven guilty\u2019 - Home Buyer Relocation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The key to maintaining liberty is to understand that the roots of tyranny grow and spread in a godless society. As America grows more secular -- as America turns from God and church and traditional values and morals -- so crime spikes and lawlessness spreads and government grows.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Home Buyer Relocation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-12T05:36:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=3983#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=3983\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b2ac56955b020950324cad4c6c27b42a\"},\"headline\":\"Happy 250th: Let\u2019s reclaim \u2018innocent until proven guilty\u2019\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-12T05:36:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=3983\"},\"wordCount\":985,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=3983#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/66671adc6589db72f445c35d4315a39d.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Flock Safety\",\"Jeffrey Sovern\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Commentary\",\"Opinion\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=3983#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=3983\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=3983\",\"name\":\"Happy 250th: Let\u2019s reclaim \u2018innocent until proven guilty\u2019 - Home Buyer Relocation\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=3983#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=3983#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/66671adc6589db72f445c35d4315a39d.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-12T05:36:11+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b2ac56955b020950324cad4c6c27b42a\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=3983#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=3983\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=3983#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/66671adc6589db72f445c35d4315a39d.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/66671adc6589db72f445c35d4315a39d.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":700},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=3983#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Happy 250th: Let\u2019s reclaim \u2018innocent until proven guilty\u2019\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Home Buyer Relocation\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b2ac56955b020950324cad4c6c27b42a\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Happy 250th: Let\u2019s reclaim \u2018innocent until proven guilty\u2019 - Home Buyer Relocation","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Happy 250th: Let\u2019s reclaim \u2018innocent until proven guilty\u2019 - Home Buyer Relocation","og_description":"The key to maintaining liberty is to understand that the roots of tyranny grow and spread in a godless society. As America grows more secular -- as America turns from God and church and traditional values and morals -- so crime spikes and lawlessness spreads and government grows.","og_url":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983","og_site_name":"Home Buyer Relocation","article_published_time":"2026-07-12T05:36:11+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b2ac56955b020950324cad4c6c27b42a"},"headline":"Happy 250th: Let\u2019s reclaim \u2018innocent until proven guilty\u2019","datePublished":"2026-07-12T05:36:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983"},"wordCount":985,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/66671adc6589db72f445c35d4315a39d.jpg","keywords":["Flock Safety","Jeffrey Sovern"],"articleSection":["Commentary","Opinion"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983","url":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983","name":"Happy 250th: Let\u2019s reclaim \u2018innocent until proven guilty\u2019 - Home Buyer Relocation","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/66671adc6589db72f445c35d4315a39d.jpg","datePublished":"2026-07-12T05:36:11+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b2ac56955b020950324cad4c6c27b42a"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/66671adc6589db72f445c35d4315a39d.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/66671adc6589db72f445c35d4315a39d.jpg","width":1200,"height":700},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3983#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Happy 250th: Let\u2019s reclaim \u2018innocent until proven guilty\u2019"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/","name":"Home Buyer Relocation","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b2ac56955b020950324cad4c6c27b42a","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com"],"url":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3983"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3983\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}