New Decision Rules on Constitutionality of Fixed-Camera Monitoring in Public

• Constitutionality of a city’s fixed camera monitoring program 
• San Diego’s “City I.Q.” camera streetlight program 
• The intrusiveness of a fixed camera monitoring program and the Fourth Amendment 

A fixed camera monitoring program spread throughout parts of a city is constitutional. 

Defendant Kevin Eugene Cartwright and his accomplice, Lorena Espinoza, robbed a flooring store in downtown San Diego on October 10, 2018. Espinoza went into the store first and led its owner and operator, identified as G.R., to the back of the store. Cartwright entered the store shortly thereafter “wearing a granny mask and sunglasses” and “incapacitated” G.R. by first kicking him, then shooting him three times, killing him. Cartwright then pried open the cash register and took its contents. 

Unbeknownst to Cartwright, his actions before and after the robbery/murder – getting out of a GMC Yukon and entering the store, and walking to the rear of a nearby clothing store and removing his mask, then using two different sedans to leave the area as Espinosa drove the Yukon away – were all recorded by the city of San Diego’s City I.Q. camera streetlight program. The clothing store’s security camera also showed Cartwright’s movements. 

The cameras that comprise ....