A Texas sheriff's office ran a coast-to-coast search of more than 83,000 automatic licence plate reader (ALPR) cameras to track down a woman after she had a self-managed abortion – but told the public it was all about her welfare, according to court records obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Sworn affidavits tell a different story entirely.
Documents show Johnson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) deputies opened a formal death investigation, gathered evidence of the woman's abortion, and rang prosecutors to ask whether she could be charged. The case, first exposed by 404 Media in May 2025, has since triggered federal scrutiny, state legislation, and criminal charges against the sheriff himself.