Posted on 11/27/2007 7:29:53 AM PST by Bear_Slayer
The other day I posted a thread regarding an incident that occurred with an MHP officer at a traffic scene.
I finally posted the video on YouTube
I tried to be respectful. I know that the officer was trying to be diplomatic despite being in the wrong.
At the end of it all, the traffic scene was really boring and I would have stopped filming on my own, but it gets my neck hairs up when told to stop doing a constitutionally protect activity -- especially one so important to ensuring accuracy.
Anyhow - I sent a letter to the MHP office and one also to the Editor of the Daily Interlake.
My entire goal was to remind officers and citizens that filming in public is perfectly legal and constitutionally protected.
I'll let you know how if anything comes of it.
Amazing they never seized your video as “evidence” then conveniently lost it. Cops don’t like being filmed, and have been known to come up with lame reasons to make you stop or seize your footage. I’m not sure if there are any actual hidden laws in any states against it, but you never know. “Lawmakers” sneak all sorts of stupid things on the books, whether they be local by-laws, city laws or state laws when we aren’t looking.
To force me to shut off my camera is coercion
To take my camera or film is theft
To arrest my is false imprisonment
Filming the actions of public officials when doing their work should always be legal, all the time. Basically, if a public employee is doing something in the capacity of his job that he doesn’t want filmed, he probably shouldn’t be doing it anyway.
Too bad you weren’t around when I ran into a PO with a simular attitude a few weeks ago. There are some real winners out there with a badge on. I guess they think it makes up for their small penis.
I was listening to a discussion on this very topic months back, and heard mention of some obscure law, or it was this obscure law (illegal wire tapping and surveillance) that police sometimes used to prevent people from recording their actions.
I never did look into it any further to see if they can do any such thing. Seems they have no problems recording us when they pull us over however. Maybe I should put one of those camera/recorders in my car. It's only fair I would say. I wouldn't bother telling them about it however, at least not until court.
As I mentioned, there are some bad cops out there, and they should loose their jobs for the abuses of authority and peoples rights that they get away with because it's their word against yours.
Please ellaborate on the incident.
He had no legal right to ask for the Id as well.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
I think you will lose everytime.
I'll just go pop some popcorn...
I think you will lose everytime.
Wrong read above!
I was at a stop side about to cross an intersection on my way to a store across the street. a cop drive by, then i proceeded to cross the street, parked my truck, then walk into the store.
meanwhile the cop had burned rubber turning around a block down the road he was on, screeched to a halt just behind my car (and a few others) yelled at me to walk back to my vehicle. He then prceeded to tell me he was giving me a ticket for not wearing a seat belt. I told him I was wearing my seat belt, and he couldn’t prove I wasn’t, (unless he was superman and could see through steel and up into my 4x4 which is 3 feet taller than his car).
Anyways, he went back to his car after taking my licience and registration, wrote me a ticket. He handed me the ticket, upon which I looked at it., saw the $250 fine, crumpled it up and tossed it in my truck, telling him that this is onme I’ll see you in court over. He then threatened to arrest me, because I “snatched” the ticket out of his hands and was disrespectfull. I told him to go right ahead, your camera will prove otherwize, and that your just being a prick.
He had a few words for me, then started towards his car, and i went into the store, when I came out of the store, this cop was in my truck looking through behind the seats, the glove box, etc. I told him to get the hell out my truck, this is an illegal seach.
I had an unopened case of beer in the back, which is perfectly legal, and he was just about to open it up when I caught him in my truck. He again asked me for my licence and registration, except now my registration was “missing” from my glove box. So I got a ticket for not producing a registration, and transporting liquor improperly.
I’m currently waiting for a court date.
They really need to get back to the business of keeping the peace and not try to be law ENFORCEMENT, especially when there are so many bulls!t laws on the book.
One never knows how many laws they've actually broken in the course of a day.
I remember that - I live in the Seattle area ... that was part of the dock protest, right?
There was another incident in Seattle where basically the same thing happened. The photographer received $8000 in restitution and the LEO’s got a letter in their file.
But then, I like watching COPS - those guys are good. Guess it’s because they’re being taped ....
Here is a case that might help!http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=va&vol=1031012&invol=1
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