ACLU and Las Vegas Metro police face off in court over high fees for body camera video and other public records

What happened in court

The ACLU and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department argued in court Thursday over how much the department charges to release public records, KTNV reported. The case centers on whether Metro is placing records such as body camera video behind fees too high for the public to pay.

KTNV first reported on the ACLU lawsuit this summer. The station's reporter has described the high costs as "the green wall of silence." According to KTNV, the judge reserved ruling and said he would issue a written decision, with no timeline given.

The fees at issue

KTNV reported two examples of bills that went unpaid because they were not affordable. Neither request was fulfilled.

ACLU request: $7,000

Metro asked the ACLU for $7,000 for body camera footage from the June 2025 ICE protest, according to KTNV. The request was not fulfilled because the bill was not affordable.

KTNV request: $21,000

The station said Metro charged it $21,000 for footage connected to an alleged illegal bio lab investigation. That request also went unfulfilled because of the cost.

Arguments on each side

The two sides disagree on what Nevada law allows when an agency responds to a records request. Their positions, as reported by KTNV, are summarized below.

The ACLU's case

In court, the ACLU argued that Metro charges inconsistent rates, relies on estimates and illegally requires deposits before it will process public records requests. Nevada ACLU Executive Director Athar Haseebullah told KTNV that Metro releases records for free when they make the department look good but charges large sums when the records involve transparency and accountability.

Haseebullah said paywalls make transparency difficult and are not what the law intended. "It was not meant to create another vehicle for any government agency to go make money off the public," he told KTNV.

Metro's position

Metro argues that state law does not specifically prohibit the fees it charges, KTNV reported. The department did not respond to the station's request for comment.

Why it matters for public records

KTNV noted that police accountability often depends on body camera video and public records, and that access to such material is the purpose of Nevada's Public Records Act. If the public cannot afford the footage, the station reported, it may never be seen.

Haseebullah said video lets people judge events for themselves without relying on anyone's account. "You can look at it yourself," he told KTNV. The ACLU says government agencies cannot be allowed to price the public out of access to public records. For more coverage of policing in the valley, see our public safety section.

What to watch next

• The judge's written decision on the ACLU's challenge to Metro's records fees, which has no set timeline, according to KTNV.
• Whether the dispute moves to the Nevada Supreme Court, which KTNV reported is possible.