Lorenzano-Nunez v. Roestenberg — §1983 Suit over Facial-Recognition Wrongful Arrest (D. Ariz.)
Arizona · Lorenzano-Nunez v. Roestenberg, No. 2:26-cv-04153 (D. Ariz. filed June 11, 2026)
Javier Lorenzano-Nunez sued Phoenix cold-case detective Dominick Roestenberg, the City of Phoenix, and two further individual defendants in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on 2026-06-11 in a civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. §1983. Press accounts state he was arrested in 2024 for a 1998 Phoenix killing after investigators used facial recognition to identify him, spent roughly a year in jail, and had all charges dismissed on 2025-08-05 after DNA and fingerprint evidence excluded him, and that the suit alleges police knew his fingerprints did not match and that a detective misled the grand jury. The docket records the cause as 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights, Nature of Suit 550.
Technical detail
Docket 2:26-cv-04153, Senior Judge Roslyn O. Silver, referred to Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Fine; plaintiff represented by Daniel R. Ortega Jr. Two individual defendants moved to dismiss for failure to state a claim on 2026-07-14; the City of Phoenix defendants' response deadline was extended to 2026-08-13.
Who is protected: Individuals subjected to arrest based on facial-recognition identification, if the suit establishes liability.
Who must comply: The City of Phoenix and the individual defendants, if liability is established.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Arizona |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | Blocked / in litigation |
| Protection strength | Moderate protection |
| Effective date | 2026-06-11 |
| Citation | Lorenzano-Nunez v. Roestenberg, No. 2:26-cv-04153 (D. Ariz. filed June 11, 2026) |
| Topics | facial recognition · police and surveillance AI |
| Last verified | 2026-07-26 |
| Official source | Lorenzano-Nunez v. Roestenberg, No. 2:26-cv-04153 (D. Ariz.) — docket ↗ |
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- Arizona Data Center Tax Incentive Moratorium (3-year, 2026) · In effect
- AZ EO 2018-04 (AV oversight) · In effect
- AZ PDD law (HB 2422) · In effect
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Related facial recognition rules elsewhere
- Virginia § 15.2-1723.2 (facial recognition by local law enforcement, eff. July 1, 2026) · In effect
- Ban biometric recognition in public accommodations (Ban The Scan) · Proposed / pending
- Limit facial recognition in residential buildings (Ban The Scan) · Proposed / pending
- Texas v. Google · In effect
- Montgomery County MD Police Directive FC 0627 · In effect
- Arlington County VA ACPD Automated License Plate Reader · In effect
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