Posted on 03/28/2012 8:12:12 PM PDT by marktwain
Simon Glik, the attorney who last year forced the First Circuit Court of Appeals to affirm that recording police in public is not a crime, will receive a $170,000 settlement from the City of Boston, stemming from his 2007 arrest for recording police in a public park.
Even though criminal charges against Glik were quickly dismissed, it took five years to settle the case because police were seeking qualified immunity in making unlawful arrests, which would have protected them from such lawsuits.
Obviously, they were under the impression that the long-standing legal principle of ignorance of the law excuses no one did not apply to them.
Last year’s First Circuit decision not only affirmed that police do not have an expectation of privacy, it ruled that police do not have qualified immunity from making these bonehead arrests, which allowed Glik to proceed with his lawsuit for the unlawful arrest.
Earlier this year, Boston police admitted they had made a mistake in arresting Glik and this month the City of Boston settled another case for $1.4 million.
And they may have to dish out more money in another lawsuit involving a man named Maury Paulino.
When did Boston move to Pennsylvania?
Web cams with audio for all congress critters 24/7.
I detest bully cops.
That $1.4MM payout should not be born by the taxpayers. It should come out of the public-service employees pension fund. Then perhaps there would be a financial incentive for the police to police each other.
Perhaps not in every conceivable circumstance.
In Mexico the narcotraficantes track down and kill cops and military and judges, and their families, when they discover their identity. In such cases, allowing recording of the public officials is the equivalent of sentencing them and their wives and children to death.
Italy has had similar problems with mafia cases.
As have Peru, Colombia, El Salvador and other countries fighting leftist insurgents.
Sometimes public officials cannot do their duties except in secret.
But you are correct it doesn't apply in these cases, where the cops are concerned only with covering up their own illegal actions.
When I typed P instead of M!
>> “That $1.4MM payout should not be born by the taxpayers. It should come out of the public-service employees pension fund.” <<
.
Right on, Zuben!
Time to stop protecting crininal officials.
It will take longer in a big city (which is generally self-insured) but not in a smaller city...hit them in the wallet. When the insurance renewal comes up, these types of things do NOT go unnoticed by the underwriters.
Lawyers are like guns, in that they can be “used” for good or for ill...personally, I think that this guy (his lawyer) let them off easy.
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