I know we have a police presence on the board, I'm curious what comes to mind when reading this story: http://gizmodo.com/5553765/are-came...feed&utm_campaign=Feed: gizmodo/full (Gizmodo
Yeah, I saw that last week. Highly disturbing to me. I have yet to see a case where a police officer had issues from someone taping him related to his privacy later on. The only negative impact seems to be when they are caught doing something unprofessional or worse. I also fail to see how it can be legal for ATM's, traffic cams, etc to operate as under these laws, you don't have the opportunity to sign a consent (in the case of the ATM, I am referring to passer by who inevitably get recorded, not the folks using it who give implicit consent). I work with law enforcement folks at all level daily. I think most of them would say its annoying being videotaped (as most people would find it while trying to do their job), but doubt many would really support these type of laws. I would wager that more often than not, the video is the LE officers friend....
So under this law the guy that recorded the Rodney King incident would have been arrested? Will all of the police brutality videos become illegal or inadmissible in court? This is horse shit. Makes it look like police officers have something to hide.
This is part of that hope and change for transparency we heard about... now where did I put my "I love Stalin" lapel pin?
Hmmm, that's interesting. I'll agree that it's an annoyance, but unless it creates a dangerous situation or actually prevents the officer from performing his/her duties, I don't see how you could pull a criminal charge out of it. I will, however, tell people to stow their cameras on a scene, say if I've got a body in the middle of the road or something. Gawkers will stand around the edge of the scene with their iPhones ready, waiting for us to pull up the sheet so they can snap pics of what's underneath. Is it illegal? Not necessarily, but it is in poor taste and it's not fair to the family of the deceased.
brb..becoming a cop , beating up someone as they video tape me , and they get 15 years in jail while I go on paid probation for 1 month... lulz
Wrong tree here. These are state laws, many of them being interpreted in unintended ways by local police departments. Many of these laws have existed for years. Its only now that there are attempts being made to use them this way...this has nothing to do with Democrats and Republicans, at least, not yet.
^^^ exactly...looks like it's a new interpretation of a law based on something that was written for a completely different reason. I agree w/ not video taping if it prohibits the officer from doing their job, but they already have a law for that...obstruction of justice or something
I posted this up because Gizmodo's take on the multple instances of this is being called a 'trend.' The wide range of locations makes one think this will end up being a federal issue if it ever escalated the wrong way to get press-time. I'm surprised it hasn't already. But the only way trends break is if enough people are aware of it happening. also, I wonder where Federal wire tapping laws come in to play here. Don't federal laws usually trump state on issues like this?
Uhhh, the Patriot Act would have been the last Republican Administration, hope and change were part of the slogan during the Democratic Campaign run by Obama. So if you are saying that Republicans and Democrats are essentially the same, I would tend to agree, but don't blame one administration when they had nothing to do with the current "trend" or laws. Its confusing enough trying to figure out who is doing what in this country politically...
Not necessarily. State laws usually only become truncated by federal laws if the state law allows more than the federal law. (i.e. medical marijuana). Again, since this is simply individual jurisdictions interpreting the law for their own purposes I just don't see this as a left or right argument, it should scare everyone equally....
so we cant video tape any policeman doing anything even if it would prove them to be wrong but the government can put video cameras on stop lights and all sorts of other things to catch us in the wrong. doesnt seem rite to me
that is crazy when they are asking how to file a formal complaint and end up getting harassed by the police then arrested.
This reminds me of this article I saw this morning. Appears they will be recording without your consent everywhere soon. I wonder if this applies to private citizens as well or if it will be impossible to get through the paperwork to fly your own unmanned aircraft. Wait can't we already do that with RC planes? http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100614/D9GB3CIO0.html And Orwell continues to roll in his grave.
But the problem is two fold here. One is the dumb municipal prosecutors that are basically acting as police department lapdogs for even trying to take this to trial. Two is the IDIOT judges who don't throw this out.
while i still think this violates your 1st ammendment right, after watching this video I can honestly see where they're coming from. http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2010/06/seattle_police_officer_caught.php Had this been a man, i doubt this much patience would have been shown. She first and foremost broke a law, then assaulted a police officer, committed obstruction of justice and then resisted arrest. The worst part about this is all of the on-lookers who were doing nothing but interfering with the situation, and the officer even tells the guy to back off. Again...not saying I agree with it, but I can see where they're coming from...
there is a clear distinction between guerrilla photographer who has interjected themselves into the situation, observing bystander, and involved party (who the cop is actually dealing with.) the last 2 should be able to record any action of the police in public view and involving them directly or passively.
(CN) - Police Tasered an 86-year-old disabled grandma in her bed and stepped on her oxygen hose until she couldn't breathe, after her grandson called 911 seeking medical assistance, the woman and her grandson claim in Oklahoma City Federal Court. Though the grandson said, "Don't Taze my granny!" an El Reno police officer told another cop to "Taser her!" and wrote in his police report that he did so because the old woman "took a more aggressive posture in her bed," according to the complaint. Lonnie Tinsley claims that he called 911 after he went to check on his grandmother, whom he found in her bed, "connected to a portable oxygen concentrator with a long hose." She is "in marginal health, [and] takes several prescribed medications daily," and "was unable to tell him exactly when she had taken her meds," so, Tinsley says, he called 911 "to ask for an emergency medical technician to come to her apartment to evaluate her." In response, "as many as ten El Reno police" officers "pushed their way through the door," according to the complaint. The grandma, Lona Varner, "told them to get out of her apartment." The remarkable complaint continues: "Instead, the apparent leader of the police [defendant Thomas Duran] instructed another policeman to 'Taser her!' He stated in his report that the 86 year-old plaintiff 'took a more aggressive posture in her bed,' and that he was fearful for his safety and the safety of others. "Lonnie Tinsley told them, 'Don't taze my Granny!' to which they responded that they would Taser him; instead, they pulled him out of her apartment, took him down to the floor, handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a police car. "The police then proceeded to approach Ms. Varner in her bed and stepped on her oxygen hose until she began to suffer oxygen deprivation. "The police then fired a Taser at her and only one wire struck her, in the left arm; the police then fired a second Taser, striking her to the right and left of the midline of her upper chest and applied high voltage, causing burns to her chest, extreme pain and to pass out. "The police then grabbed Ms. Varner by her forearms and jerked hands together, causing her soft flesh to tear and bleed on her bed; they then handcuffed her. "The police freed Lonnie Tinsley from his incarceration in the back of the police car and permitted him to accompany the ambulance with his grandmother." Tinsley says the cops capped it all off by having his grandmother "placed in the psychiatric ward at the direction of the El Reno police; she was held there for six days and released." "As a result of the wrongful arrest and detention, the plaintiff Lona M. Varner suffered the unlawful restraint of her freedom, bodily injury, assault, battery, the trashing of her apartment, humiliation, loss of personal dignity, infliction of emotional distress and medical bills." They seek punitive damages for constitutional violations, from the City of El Reno, Duran, Officers Frank Tinga and Joseph Sandberg, and 10 Officers Does. They are represented by Brian Dell of Oklahoma City. http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/06/24/28330.htm