ACLU-WV v. Huntington (Flock contract mandamus)
ACLU-WV Mandamus Petition v. City of Huntington over Flock Safety Contract (Cabell County Circuit Court)
Huntington, WV · ACLU-WV mandamus petition (relator Gregory Jimison) v. City of Huntington and Mayor Farrell, Cabell County Circuit Court, filed July 16, 2026
- Status
- Blocked / in litigation
- Took effect
- July 16, 2026
- Applies to
- City of Huntington, WV; Mayor Farrell (respondents)
- Enforced by
- Cabell County Circuit Court, WV
On July 16, 2026 — two days after the Huntington City Council approved a $2.1 million Flock Safety surveillance contract 6-4 — the ACLU of West Virginia filed a mandamus petition in Cabell County Circuit Court against the City of Huntington and Mayor Farrell seeking to block the contract. Rather than a constitutional privacy claim, the petition rests on a procurement/property-law theory challenging how the city entered the contract. The relator (the party on whose behalf mandamus is sought) is Huntington resident Gregory Jimison. The case is an early example of surveillance-contract litigation attacking the purchasing process itself.
Who is protected: Huntington, WV residents (if the petition succeeds, the Flock surveillance contract would be blocked or unwound)
Legal detail
State ex rel. Jimison mandamus petition, Cabell County Circuit Court (WV), filed July 16, 2026. Respondents: City of Huntington and Mayor Farrell. Theory: procurement/property-law defects in the award of the $2.1M Flock Safety contract (40 ALPRs, 17 cameras, 2 drones, 2 gunshot detectors, audio detection), not a Fourth Amendment or state constitutional privacy claim. ACLU-WV represents the relator. Underlying contract approved by council 6-4 on July 14, 2026 (see Huntington WV Flock contract approved 6-4 (Jul. 14, 2026)). Case number not available in coverage as of July 19, 2026.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Huntington, WV |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Citation | ACLU-WV mandamus petition (relator Gregory Jimison) v. City of Huntington and Mayor Farrell, Cabell County Circuit Court, filed July 16, 2026 |
| Penalties | Mandamus relief sought (contract blocked/unwound); no damages theory reported in coverage |
| Topics | consumer data privacy · police and surveillance AI |
| News report | City of Huntington hit with lawsuit from ACLU, others over $2.1 million Flock Safety contract — WV MetroNews |
More AI rules in Huntington, WV
Related consumer data privacy rules elsewhere
- Vermont Data Broker Law (H.211) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Chatrie v. United States (Fourth Amendment protection for location… · Blocked / in litigation
- House Bill 2512 — Banning surveillance pricing by rideshare companies · Proposed / pending
- Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act) (H.R. 7757) · Proposed / pending
- Maine LD 61 (employer surveillance disclosure & prohibition) · In effect
- Washington SHB 1672 (employee monitoring notice, ADS restrictions, emotion AI ban) · In effect
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