Justice Dept. Defends Public’s Constitutional ‘Right to Record’ Cops

[BOOTY MONSTER]

Justice Dept. Defends Public's Constitutional 'Right to Record' Cops | Threat Level | Wired.com

http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/t..._states_letter_re_photography_5_14_2012_0.pdf

" As police departments around the country are increasingly caught up in tussles with members of the public who record their activities, the U.S. Justice Department has come out with a strong statement supporting the First Amendment right of individuals to record police officers in the public discharge of their duties.

In a surprising letter (.pdf) sent on Monday to attorneys for the Baltimore Police Department, the Justice Department also strongly asserted that officers who seize and destroy such recordings without a warrant or without due process are in strict violation of the individual’s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. .....

 

[Mudfoot]

I support that position.

 

[n0zna]

I wqas a road dog cop

from 1982 to 2007...i see no problem with it...i was recorded many of times...i always smiled...that realy messed up the people that where recording me...hehe...we had a bad cop in my town and they thought everyone one was bad,the feds where even in on it...hehe I left as the City Marshal and went to the state where i retired as a FTO...never say you seen everything,they will surprise ya...73 de JW

 

[mr_fx]

good call

 

[Highlander_821]

Glad to hear this. My city (Champaign, IL) is one that asserts that you can be arrested and prosecuted for videotaping the cops.

Any thinking person can see what is wrong with that, constitutionally.

When you are in public, you are subject to being photographed, recorded, videotaped, etc. That's what being in public means. Government employees like cops are not special.

 

[mackmobile43]

Police like myself could not care less what tf the supreme court thinks, I'm not in disagreement with this but some things are common sense and should not have to be debated.

 

[packrat]

Is Mack a lawyer, cause I dont understand what he just said.LOL

Anyway, when you are in public, you have no "Reasonable Expectation of Privacy" and can be legally recorded. Anyway, an officer should never be doing anything that he would not want to be seen doing!

PR

 

[Dude111]

Hey of the cops werent ABUSING THIER POWER,they wouldnt have to worry about being taped now would they?