Case Number: 2026-C-2695

Court: Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas

Clients: Lindsay Weber and The Morning Call

Background: In April 2026, The Morning Call reporter Lindsay Weber filed a request under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law seeking, among other records, all aggregated data showing the Allentown Police Department’s searches on its Flock Safety License Plate Reader systems, including the dates and reasons for the search.

According to The Morning Call, Allentown has 67 Flock Safety automatic license plate readers that “instantly capture detailed data about license plates and vehicles, and automatically alert police when a stolen or wanted car passes by.” Across the country, critics have raised privacy concerns about Flock cameras, citing cases of law enforcement officers using their access to the Flock system to stalk people, such as their ex-partners. 

The City of Allentown denied Weber’s request, claiming the data contains criminal investigative information that’s exempt from disclosure under the RTKL. Weber and The Morning Call appealed to the district attorney’s office, which affirmed the city’s denial.

On behalf of Weber and The Morning Call, Paula Knudsen Burke, the Reporters Committee’s Pennsylvania-based attorney, and attorney Jim Davy of All Rise Trial & Appellate filed this appeal of the DA appeals officer’s determination. In the filings, Burke and Davy argue that the city failed to prove that the requested records contain investigative information. And the RTKL makes clear that the exemption for investigative information doesn’t apply to aggregated data, the appeal adds, asking the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas to order the release of the data. 

Quote: “The public deserves to have a better understanding of how this new and rapidly evolving technology, which has raised privacy concerns, is being used locally,” said Morning Call Editor John Misinco in an an article about the lawsuit. “Getting access to the records we are seeking should help provide a clearer picture.”

Co-counsel: Jim Davy of All Rise Trial & Appellate

Filings:

2026-07-10: Petition for review