Eyes on Every Exit: How Rutherford County’s New License Plate Readers (LPR's) Are Shaping Criminal Cases

Quinn Rodriguez
Jul 15
3 min read

Updated: Jul 18

On July 8th 2025 WGNS Radio reported that Murfreesboro quietly finished installing 20 high‑resolution license‑plate reader (LPR) cameras at interstate exits, major arterials, and shopping‑district entrances. Officers say the network has already pushed LPR‑triggered arrests up nearly 30 percent this year—from stolen‑vehicle recoveries to fugitive round‑ups. (per WGNS Radio)

What Exactly Do License Plate Readers (LPR's) Capture?

Snapshot + Metadata. Each Murfreesboro LPR camera photographs the rear of every vehicle, then attaches:

Plate number (OCR‑generated)
Time & date to the millisecond
GPS coordinates
Direction of travel
Camera ID (reveals which intersection or ramp)

Tennessee Retention Law:

90 days max statewide – Tennessee Code Ann. § 55‑10‑302(b) unless tied to an active investigation.

Fourth Amendment Case Law Facts: Are Weeks of Travel Data a “Search”?

United States v. Jones, 565 U.S. 400 (2012) GPS tracker on a Jeep for 28 days was a search.
Carpenter v. United States, 585 U.S. __ (2018) Seven days of historical cell‑site data requires a warrant.
United States v. Houston, 813 F.3d 282 (6th Cir. 2016) – Ten weeks of pole‑camera video did not violate the Fourth Amendment because the lens saw only what a passerby could view from the road.
State v. Allen, No. W2011‑01216‑SC‑R11‑CD, 2013 Tenn. LEXIS 142 (Tenn. Feb. 27, 2013) – Tennessee’s high court held that installing a GPS tracker on a vehicle without judicial approval violates Tenn. Const. art. I, § 7 and Tenn. Code Ann. § 40‑6‑101.

Take‑away: The Supreme Court’s “mosaic” theory (aggregate data over days or weeks) is creeping into lower‑court LPR rulings. I expect future defense motions arguing that bulk plate‑history requests are Jones/Carpenter searches requiring a warrant—particularly when police mine weeks of data to place a suspect near multiple crime scenes.

Key Tennessee & Sixth‑Circuit Cases on Automated Surveillance

Year	Case	Technology	Holding
2013	State v. Allen	GPS tracker	Warrant required under art. I, § 7
2016	U.S. v. Houston (6th Cir.)	Pole camera	10‑week video not a search
2020	Spann v. Carter, 648 F. App’x 586	Covert wildlife cameras	No expectation of privacy in open fields
2024	Norfolk Circuit Court *Bell* order	Fixed LPR network	Long‑term plate history was a search (suppressed) (Note: this is only a district court case)

Why it matters: Rutherford County judges often draw on Sixth Circuit precedent. Houston suggests that single‑frame plate hits are fair game, but Allen and Carpenter give fertile ground to argue that aggregated travel histories cross the constitutional line.

Discovery & Suppression Strategies in Rutherford County Courts

Mosaic argument. When the State offers weeks of LPR history, move to suppress under Allen, Carpenter, and the reasonable‑expectation test.
Retention violations. If data were kept beyond 90 days without a court order, cite § 55‑10‑302(b) and argue statutory exclusion or due‑process sanctions.
Rule 16 & Brady. LPR logs that exculpate (e.g., the defendant’s car never near the scene) are discoverable; press the Assistant District Attorney for complete CSV exports, not screenshots.

Practical Tips: What to Do If You’re Pulled Over

Stay in the vehicle unless directed otherwise. Quick exits spike officer threat assessments.
Ask why you were stopped. Officers must articulate the basis often “LPR alert for stolen tag.”
Do not consent to a search unless you’re comfortable with every compartment being opened.
Record politely. Tennessee is a one‑party consent state; phone video is legal.
Request counsel early if an arrest follows; suppression motions hinge on precise roadside facts.

Sidebar: Case Evaluation

Facing an LPR‑Triggered Charge? Call (615) 546-5551 or visit QuinnRodriguezLaw.com/ for a confidential review.

Collateral Consequences of a Conviction

An LPR case often starts with a “simple” stolen‑tag stop but can spiral into drug, firearm, or probation‑violation counts. A guilty plea may:

Spike insurance premiums 20‑40 % for three years.
Trigger professional‑license discipline (real‑estate, nursing, Commercial Driver's License).
Jeopardize immigration status for non‑citizens.
Appear on background checks used by 90 % of Tennessee employers.

Fighting admissibility at the LPR stage can be the difference between a clean record and years of hidden costs.

Final Word

License‑plate readers are here to stay in Rutherford County—but so are the constitutional guardrails. By understanding the tech, the law, and the local rules, drivers and business owners can protect their rights while law abiding police work against true criminals continues.