Can we or can't we record the police?

**IndieAnthias** · 12-14-2011 01:10 PM

What's the deal here? It's called oversight.

**Xei** · 12-14-2011 03:49 PM

Technology is becoming a very potent force for freedom, and this is a big part of it. Public scrutiny of public officials, especially those with a lot of power, should be encouraged, not made illegal. Fortunately that does seem to be the trend in the US.

Federal Courts Rule it is Not Illegal to Film Police - Technorati Technology

Not sure how this fits into the fascist police state NWO thing.

**IndieAnthias** · 12-14-2011 05:53 PM

umm that kind of kills my thread. but good! I thought it was legal. I had heard that it is always legal to record anything that happens in public. I wonder how the guy in my video is affected by this decision (possibly won't be because the events occurred on his own [private] property??). I guess this whole wire-tapping thing cropped up recently as a bullshit excuse to charge people who record cops in performance of their duty. I'm still kinda mad that it they tried it in the first place.

**Oneironaut Zero** · 12-14-2011 06:31 PM

Yeah. As far as I know, it's not illegal, but they will do everything in their power to try to keep you from doing it.

**Alric** · 12-14-2011 08:26 PM

It is entirely legal, though they been trying to stop people from doing it for years. And like in that case you might get arrested but they usually drop it. Just like how when they arrest people for 'illegal' protests, they almost always just drop it. In both cases, regardless of what any law may say, they are legal and protected by the US consitution. So even if someone got convicted in a lower court they would just appeal it and it is going to get overturned.

Both are protected by the first amendment, freedom of speech and in the case of video taping people freedom of the press.

**LucidFlanders** · 12-14-2011 08:40 PM

So if he taped a cop doing bad things with the wrong people (corruption), he'd go to jail while the cop would go free because it's thrown out for being an illegal act? you can't exactly bring that cop to jail, since it's against the law to video tape him with no conscent, so the cop continues doing the bad things while the guy video taping would go to jail for up to 15 years.

**ninja9578** · 12-15-2011 12:16 AM

The Supreme Court said laws against recording police violate the 1st and 4th amendments in the early 2000s but I can't find the exact case. While in uniform, they are a servant of the government an not and individual, so they may be recorded without a warrant / permission. That guy who got 75 years will appeal, and win the appeal. Illinois is violating a Supreme Court ruling.

**Xei** · 12-15-2011 12:58 AM

Appeal what?

**ninja9578** · 12-15-2011 06:32 PM

When you get arrested for a criminal offense in the USA, you go to trial. After the verdict, both sides have the right to make an appeal to a higher court, usually a state court, then the state supreme court, then the supreme court. In civil rights cases like this it often makes it to the state supreme court, however no lower courts are supposed to contradict a higher court. The supreme court set precedence that it is legal to record on duty officers while they are in public, and they have the final word.

**Original Poster** · 12-22-2011 10:19 PM

I wish Illinois wasn't so far away. It'd be neat to organize a protest to constantly film the police pressing the charges until they drop them.

**ninja9578** · 12-23-2011 04:31 AM

Originally Posted by Omnis Dei

I wish Illinois wasn't so far away. It'd be neat to organize a protest to constantly film the police pressing the charges until they drop them.

It's called #OpPoparazzi and people all over the country are doing it. Militant police oppression is a thing of the past thanks to the internet and youtube.

**Supernova** · 12-23-2011 04:39 AM

Rodney King.

What would have happened if they guy who recorded that was afraid of being imprisoned for it? I hope people realize just how serious this issue is. When you look at the bigger picture and think about gradualism, any attempt to criminalize public oversight of public officials is an affront against the principals that keep a free country free.

**ninja9578** · 12-23-2011 04:44 AM

^This

Without iPhones, Tony Bologna would still be on the street, John Pike would still be patrolling UC Davis, and random other unnamed violent police officers would be attacking people they disagreed with with no lawful reason without justice. Police officers who are in it for a little bit of power, are not real cops.

Real cops are cops to protect the citizens of the USA, not blindly followed orders given by billionaire bankers and their friends.