Posted on 11/30/2012 4:42:34 PM PST by marktwain
For a while now, especially since the arrival of YouTube ordinary citizens have been attempting to make police accountable for their actions by videoing them. Many times police officers do not have a problem being videoed. However the State of Illinois does not like their officers being videoed and sought to impose a penalty of up to 15 years in prison tied to a 50-year-old anti-eavesdropping law.
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Obviously lower level courts and even a Justice Department backing, in an Obama administration, concluded that there was nothing criminal about citizens videoing police officers. Officers are not above the law. Their role is to be servants of the citizens, not tyrannical thugs. It seems many police officers think they are somehow free to video a citizens every move with surveillance cameras in their cars, at their buildings and out in the open, but they do not want citizens recording them.
Recording of police officers violates no one’s rights. In ensures the privacy rights of both officers and citizens. It may be annoying, but that’s just tough. Many things about “free speech” can be annoying and even disagreeable, but that doesn’t mean that people who disagree with you are not allowed to speak.
The ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court blocking Illinois’ unconstitutional law and kicking it back to the lower court should be clear enough that this should never come up again, but it will. Liberals and tyrants will not rest until the freedoms of the people are thoroughly cast under foot and trampled upon. Therefore, we must be ever vigilant against them.
(Excerpt) Read more at freedomoutpost.com ...
I am very glad to see that the Supreme Court agrees.
Cops will continue to be cops, regardless of any court rulings.
Absolutely. Once I saw that video a couple years ago of that police officer(can’t remember the details) telling a citizen that the constitution didn’t matter there, I am all for video documentation of police in public.
This recent change is -deeply- troubling. In the post 9/11 world, for the first time ever in our history, we cannot photgraph or record something happening in public.
I cannot remember anywhere that this is the case.
Even area 51 can be photographed if you can find the right mountaintop and lens. Now you can get detained for being seen photographing a bridge, a train, a courthouse, etc. Some lady was detained for doing nothing more than videotaping outside on the sidewalk at the democrat convention.
We used to scoff when people were not allowed to take photos in certain areas of Red Square, etc.
Now we are living that nightmare. This needs to be ruled on by the USSC. NO public official, working in public should be immune to being taped. Nobody should be able to join in and interfere as they do so, but simply running a cam is a bright line between totalitarian and free.
Ever wonder why they call it a Miranda warning?
They're not obligated to give you that warning anymore. As soon as you open your house or car door, you are under arrest, whether they tell you that or not.
You watch too much TV.
It will be interesting to see if those who want to claim RACIAL PROFILING on the officers right to identify illegal aliens will bother filming.
I see nothing wrong keeping the Police on the straight and narrow.
If they can use audio and video against the public we should be able to use it to protect us against maltreatment by the Law Enforcement agencies.
My point was that a court ruling changed police behavior. If you don’t think so it’s because you’re wrong.
It’s time to equip all dogs with a dog cam.
Are you talking about Miranda? Because if you are, you are wrong.
I pulled an obvious example oif a court ruling that changed police behavior. Your contention was the despite court rulings cops wouldn’t change. You’re wrong, QED.
I've been so depressed since Nov. 6, a day that will live in infamy, that I'll happily take any little crumb that comes our way, LOL.
Leni
I too, am glad the Supreme Court agrees, however, if the Supreme Court disagreed to a constitutional right - an inalienable right, then they would be wrong.
Our guide is the constitution - not the court.
No videos because, “I yam da law”.
Too Bad that Cops are not regular Citizens ...
Always remember NEVER TALK TO A COP
They always have a Lawyer, their job is NOT to Serve and Protect, Their Job is #1 Revenue, #2 Arrest, Prosecute, Convict, Incarcerate.
They are not your friend and they don’t care what you think
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc
TT
First, I am pro law enforcement. But back in the mid
80’s I was stopped by the Highway Patrol very early
in the morning. It seems that when the left turn
arrow switched from red to green I didn’t turn fast
enough for the patrolmen behind me. They pulled me
over and decided that I needed a FST (field sobriety
test). They administered six different tests and
arrested me. On the arrest report they detailed only 3
tests. Had that stop been made these days (and later
or earlier timewise)someone might have been there to
video the event with a cell phone. They couldn’t use
three of the FSTs to convict because I passed them.
As it turned out there was not enough alcohol in my
system to register in the urinalysis and I was not
prosecuted. They still tried to get me on a light
signal infraction. I timed the turn signal at the
same time of day and discovered it stayed green for a
mere 6 seconds. Their report indicated I had waited
for 10 seconds before proceeding yet they did not
claim that I had run a red or yellow light. That
charge was also tossed.
Quite a while ago, I stopped for a 4-way stop sign, and then slowly proceeded. My wife and I were on our way to dropping off our baby at grandma’s house a couple blocks from there before proceeding to work. A parked police car persued us and when I pulled ip at grandma’s to park, two officers jumped out and began berating me for failing to stop at the stop sign and barreling through the intersection at high speed. All lies.
I had a nice 3-piece suit on, looking my best, and got in their face and dressed them down for being stupid rookies. And told them I was on my way to a high-profile meeting with police commanders and police captains at the dispatch communications center (which I was), and they would have to answer to them if I was late for the meeting. I then took my baby from the carseat and proceeded inside the house. The bewildered look on their faces was priceless, as they slithered back to their police car and left.
As others have said, don’t trust the cops. Some are bad, and do crappy things under color of authority to citizens. I came out okay because I was doing work for the police, and I was told they would fix any tickets should I get any. In this situation, I had done nothing wrong and they had targetted me - unfortunately for them.
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