PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Green Bay argues a lawsuit challenging the use of surveillance cameras within City Hall should be dismissed because neither of plaintiffs can show audio of their conversations were recorded, or that they had any expectation of privacy, according to the newest filing in the federal case.
Green Bay installed the security cameras with audio-recording capability sometime before December 2021. In August 2022, Janet Angus requested details of audio surveillance equipment, which the city provided.
A lawsuit was filed in February 2023, shortly before the mayoral election. A week later, the city’s Park Committee recommended the ending of the recordings.
A judge entered a temporary order to halt it on March 2. Days later, the City Council prohibited audio surveillance at City Hall.
The plaintiffs — the Wisconsin State Senate, State Sen. Andre Jacque, and former Green Bay Ald. Tony Theisen — sued the City of Green Bay and Mayor Eric Genrich.
Although a Brown County judge scheduled a trial, the city had the case moved the case to federal court in September.
Both sides exchanged initial briefs in the case, with the city’s attorneys filing another brief Tuesday. The 21-page brief reiterated why the city believes the case should be dismissed.
“Even if this Court determines that the allegations that Senator Jacque’s and Plaintiff Theisen’s single, respective conversations could have been recorded are sufficient, Plaintiffs have not pled sufficient facts to plausibly find they had a reasonable expectation of privacy in the public hallways of City Hall,” wrote attorney Ted Waskowski. “Plaintiffs’ grievances have already been addressed through the political process and their Amended Complaint should be dismissed before any further government resources are drained into an otherwise resolved matter because each claim has been insufficiently pled.”
No hearings are currently scheduled in the case.
Meanwhile, there is a separate criminal investigation under way to determine if installation and operation of the devices broke any law.
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