Oh this is a load of horse shit, if you tape your riding BEWARE!

[winmutt]

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

Filming police officers is now against the laws in many states. This one bit outta get the attention of a few of you:



A recent arrest in Maryland is both typical and disturbing.

On March 5, 24-year-old Anthony John Graber III's motorcycle was pulled over for speeding. He is currently facing criminal charges for a video he recorded on his helmet-mounted camera during the traffic stop.

The case is disturbing because:

1) Graber was not arrested immediately. Ten days after the encounter, he posted some of he material to YouTube, and it embarrassed Trooper J. D. Uhler. The trooper, who was in plainclothes and an unmarked car, jumped out waving a gun and screaming. Only later did Uhler identify himself as a police officer. When the YouTube video was discovered the police got a warrant against Graber, searched his parents' house (where he presumably lives), seized equipment, and charged him with a violation of wiretapping law.

2) Baltimore criminal defense attorney Steven D. Silverman said he had never heard of the Maryland wiretap law being used in this manner. In other words, Maryland has joined the expanding trend of criminalizing the act of recording police abuse. Silverman surmises, "It's more [about] ‘contempt of cop' than the violation of the wiretapping law."

3) Police spokesman Gregory M. Shipley is defending the pursuit of charges against Graber, denying that it is "some capricious retribution" and citing as justification the particularly egregious nature of Graber's traffic offenses. Oddly, however, the offenses were not so egregious as to cause his arrest before the video appeared.

[wallypiper]

The Maryland case is old news but the trend is alarming in a more general sense.

[cudruln]

What wally said

[Kainedogg]

New news to me

[MrBlah]

it's ok for police to film you, but not for you to film police, in the nazi occupied countries

at least that's the way it should read, WTF is wrong with these voters, why in gods name have they allowed this

[Hammerhead]

The police work for us.

[Dan43]

The police work for us.What have you been smoking?

[mrmekon]

it's ok for police to film you, but not for you to film police, in the nazi occupied countries

at least that's the way it should read, WTF is wrong with these voters, why in gods name have they allowed this

I've always imagined laws like this get on the books to punish criminals who can't be caught on other charges, and then they never go away and eventually start getting applied to nonsensical situations.

A quick google search shows this dumb law is enforced pretty regularly:
Taping police 1 (http://it.slashdot.org/it/06/06/29/188221.shtml)
Taping police 2 (http://carlosmiller.com/2010/05/15/new-jersey-man-arrested-for-videotaping-police-officers-on-a-public-street/)
Taping police 3 (http://carlosmiller.com/2010/05/13/activist-arrested-for-videotaping-federal-guards-outside-pennsyvlania-courthouse/)

*sigh*

[winmutt]

The police work for us.

Tell that to a cop the next time you get pulled over, I'll bring flowers to the hospital.

[Hammerhead]

What have you been smoking?

Who pays their wages?

[Hammerhead]

Tell that to a cop the next time you get pulled over, I'll bring flowers to the hospital.

I said they work for us (citizens), I didn't say that makes citizens above the law.

[winmutt]

Who pays their wages?

Payroll department.

[Dan43]

Who pays their wages?Their wages are paid by confiscation of private property by the government. Who supplies the muscle to back up the government as it engages in the confiscation of private property?

[Mongo]

Who pays their wages?

The same government they're collecting fines for...

[Hammerhead]

Oh, I'm sorry. I was under the impression that police are public servants funded by taxpayers. You're paranoia ridden theory sounds more dramatic though.

[ramm]

it's ok for police to film you, but not for you to film police, in the nazi occupied countries

at least that's the way it should read, WTF is wrong with these voters, why in gods name have they allowed this

Totally agree, and people say cops aren't above the law.

[ga_skyline_rydr]

In Maryland if I remember right for taping to happen there has to be mutual consent. Here in GA as long as one consents taping is allowed, if I remember correctly. Funny though when the cops are taping and it is called into evidence how convenient it is that parts of the video come up missing. If you think you live in the land of the free try New Zealand you will feel as though this country is anything but free. Stories like this do nothing more than earn more disrespect to law enforcement.

[Ian178]

Oh, I'm sorry. I was under the impression that police are public servants funded by taxpayers.

Go over to the leo forum on glock talk. If you look around a little it's easy to see that cops don't have this viewpoint.

[Hammerhead]

Go over to the leo forum on glock talk. If you look around a little it's easy to see that cops don't have this viewpoint.

Doesn't mean it's not so. Cops are public servants.

[ga_skyline_rydr]

Bottom line is this, municipalities along with the states are very money hungry. They will do what it takes to separate you from your money. Remember one thing, make sure your shit is in order and carry it with you at all times.

[Ringo®]

I was under the impression that it's just the unknowing recording of audio that's supposed to be the big no no

[Dan43]

Doesn't mean it's not so. Cops are public servants.They are SUPPOSED to be. Reality is something entirely different in the case of far too many LEO.

[Mongo]

Oh, I'm sorry. I was under the impression that police are public servants funded by taxpayers. You're paranoia ridden theory sounds more dramatic though.

They are in the long run, but they do not work directly for the public, they are not paid directly by you, you have zero say in how they do their job. You can hire and fire their bosses via elections but they do not work for you.

[MrBlah]

all charges related to wiretap and recording the police have been dropped

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/blog/2010/09/motorcyclist_wins_taping_case.html

he still has to face speeding and the other traffic related tickets

[winmutt]

And rightfully so. The cop is lucky he didn't get shot. He didn't announce he was police right away. That looked like a straight jacking in progress.