A private investigator who used GPS devices to secretly track the vehicles of Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve and a county commissioner ahead of an election has been ordered to release the name of the client who hired him.
The Nevada Supreme Court ruled unanimously against David McNeely, 5 Alpha Industries, and "John Doe" on Monday after they asked the Court to overturn a judge's order to identify the anonymous client.
In their ruling, the Supreme Court said the District Court can force private investigators to reveal information, saying the state does not offer privilege between private investigators and their clients.
Schieve filed suit in December of 2022Â seeking damages from McNeely for a violation of her privacy after a mechanic alerted her to a clandestine GPS tracking device on her car.
Sparks Police determined it was purchased by McNeely and ex-Washoe County Commissioner Vaughn Hartung joined the suit in February of 2023 under similar circumstances.
The Supreme Court rejected an argument from McNeely that the name of his client constituted a "trade secret," saying a single client's identity does not fall within the definition of that term.
An attorney for "John Doe" argued that his client has a First Amendment right to anonymously investigate elected officials.
That attorney also said their client had not broken any laws or disseminated any of the information gathered, and never was aware of or instructed McNeely to place GPS trackers on vehicles.
The court was unreceptive to arguments from "Doe" as well, saying the issues the anonymous person presented were "not ripe for review."
You can read the complete ruling below.
