Videotaping police is now illegal in three states - serious WTF

[Hugabear]

http://gizmodo.com/5553765/are-cameras-the-new-guns

<snip>
In response to a flood of Facebook and YouTube videos that depict police abuse, a new trend in law enforcement is gaining popularity. In at least three states, it is now illegal to record any on-duty police officer.

Even if the encounter involves you and may be necessary to your defense, and even if the recording is on a public street where no expectation of privacy exists.

The legal justification for arresting the "shooter" rests on existing wiretapping or eavesdropping laws, with statutes against obstructing law enforcement sometimes cited. Illinois, Massachusetts, and Maryland are among the 12 states in which all parties must consent for a recording to be legal unless, as with TV news crews, it is obvious to all that recording is underway. Since the police do not consent, the camera-wielder can be arrested. Most all-party-consent states also include an exception for recording in public places where "no expectation of privacy exists" (Illinois does not) but in practice this exception is not being recognized.
<snip>

This is some serious fucked up bullshit. What's even more troubling is that there are some courts that are upholding these laws. Given the current makeup of the SCOTUS, I don't really hold out much hope if any of these cases ever make it that far.

[Common Sense Party]

1. 12 states

[grasswire]

2. which ones, do you know?

guess we'd better bone up on this

[Common Sense Party]

5. No I asked that in an earlier thread.

The article says 12 states but only names 3--which are blue states, I think. I don't know what the other 9 are.

[Hugabear]

4. It boggles my mind to think how this could even be possible

Although I guess it does make sense that they wouldn't want civilians documenting their abuse and brutality.

[William Z. Foster]

3. hmmm...

On another note, I can't imagine why a coffee shop owner would just as soon that uniformed police not make unannounced visits and stroll among the customers while on duty.

How come "if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear" doesn't go both ways?

[ET Awful]

6. So does that mean that any business that has security cameras must

disable them when a police officer is in the vicinity?

[tiptoe]

7. It's all about Election Fraud that gave the radical right-wing filth power in the USSC.

9/11 was a fraud. Jets did not bring down the WTC 1&2 and WTC7 was brough down by pre-rigged explosives.

See Prof Steven Jones youtube presentation of active thermite discovered in the dust of the WTC, reported in April 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDVWlUy0BWo&feature=PlayList&p=1BA16A673C07ED1E&index=0&playnext=1
( http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=1BA16A673C07ED1E&search_query=Steven+E.+Jones+on+Nanothermite )

See and understand what Sandra Day O'Connor -- the justice who stopped the recount in 2000 that would have given Gore a win in Florida and the Presidency instead of * -- is promoting in May 21, 2010:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8475314&mesg_id=8481876

[ProdigalJunkMail]

9. a dose of meds and reality might be good for you... n/t

[RC]

11. Some research might do you some good.

Might help you see reality.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

14. I was in WTC #7 the day before the attacks...

there were no fucking demolition charges in the building...you cannot hide that sort of work. Controlled demolition takes months to plan and weeks to setup and execute. If you believe WTC #7 was brought down on purpose...you need help. I was there...there were NO CHARGES...not a fucking one.

sP

[freeplessinseattle]

8. probably even more popular since that recent police beating

accompanied by racist phrases of some Latino men, here in Seattle last month. Made nat'l news and probably freaked out some cops, sure made me wonder what else was going that didn't happen to be around a camera.

[B Calm]

10. but. . . It's okay for them to video tape you. . .

[Echo In Light]

12. .

[northofdenali]

13. Add Alaska. Not illegal, but inadissable (?sp) in court. n/t

[flvegan]

15. "...unless, as with TV news crews, it is obvious to all that recording is underway"

So make it obvious. Sounds like a decent defense to any charges or suggestion of inadmissibility in court.

[Shadow Creature]

16. don't they work for us?

Or is that just outmoded thinking these days?

[MellowDem]

17. When I went to France...

I was taking a picture of the moon, and this police officer came up to me to stop me, because the moon happened to be above the police station, and you couldn't take pictures of them apparantly.

It's obvious laws like these can't be too broad or they're original intent is lost and it tramples on individual rights.