Congressman introduces bill to protect citizens who videotape cops

A U.S. Congressman has introduced a resolution that would protect citizens who videotape cops in public from getting arrested on state wiretapping charges.

You may have heard about police arresting citizens who film them and charging them with illegal wiretapping. Now one congressman is stepping up and I think US citizens should take note of this.
It's not a law but if you have this on your side in the courtroom your changes of getting those charges thrown out might increase quite good.

PINAC

IMO, when a cop uses a dash cam, he or she is videotaping me without my consent and without telling me.

I don't see why they have a problem with citizens doing the same.

No 3 seems to be loophole

members of the public have a right to observe, and if they choose, to make video or sound recordings of the police during the discharge of their public duties, as long as they do not physically or otherwise interfere with the officers’ discharge of their duties, or violate any other State or Federal law, intended to protect the safety of police officers, in the process of the recording.

Who defines "interfere with the officers’ discharge of their duties?"

[edit on 16-7-2010 by jam321]

I would support this but am very wary about anything coming from Edolphus Towns.

This getting mainstream media attention now so hopefully others will join the cause. Abuse of wiretapping laws is pretty new as far as I know and the response has been quite fast. It was intented to prevent secret recording of people, not to protect authorities in public and when they know they're being filmed.

Anything in the public or on government tax payer funded property should be allowed to be public.. we pay these servants we should be able to video tape them.

or otherwise interfere with the officers’ discharge of their duties

Officer: Put down your camera
Citizen: I have a right to video tape you sir
Officer: You are distracting me and that interferes with the discharge of my Duties. Now get on the ground!
Citizen: Don't tase me bro....

Yeah I would say it has a loop hole.

I will video anyone anywhere and if there is an issue with it I'll just call in back up.

I am so ready to help oust these tyrants its not even funny.

Bravo to Edolphus Towns for presenting this bill.

Last time I checked 12 states have used wire-tapping laws to penalize
citizens for video-taping officers. Some of the laws pertain to the taping of audio and not video, which means its okay in those states to videotape as long
as the audio is disabled.

But anyway, if this passes it would be a HUGE step in slowing the
forever-forward motion of the police state.

Just a thought....

What if they're taking steps toward eliminating police, and replacing it with Military police ?

reply to post by SWCCFAN


Your scenario isn't that uncommon. Such things as 'resisting without violence' have been used to arrest people who film cops. This wiretapping thing is just the new favourite.

I'd love to see this take hold...

I support this world wide. In my country AU - State police are at present being fitted with cameras on their front uniform. The government statement was so no mistakes or misjudgment in court would happen. I ask who is this really protecting ? us or them... We all have camera phones ? Use them! Advise politly of your actions and you have the civil rite to do so. Free and democratic society ? This still exsists doesnt it...

I say video tape them without their knowledge.

If the courts won't accept it, YouTube will!

Make the courts look stupid.

reply to post by NuclearPaul


Very true regarding You tube ! Excellent platform for public judgement...

You know, they have this other fancy phrase called "implied consent", where LEOs just automatically assumed that you are an informed and willing participant to their little game called "public safety". Where ignorance of the law offers no excuse.

I think lawmakers have been pressured into making LE powers greater and greater over time just to prevent any proof of misconduct which possibly could lead to huge court settlements and negative publicity. Mainly allowing the top brass to keep their power grips. If anything, any kind of video showing police interaction should be encouraged. They can use them like training videos. But, it seems that protecting the bottom line is better. Transparency is a myth.

Theres the 'official' story and then theres the truth. I think that we should be more privvy to the truth. That seriously would make police better at their job. Knowing what they should and should not do during the course of their duties.

Can someone post any reports citing the exact circumstances in which people were arrested while filming police officers and then prosecuted? These guys are just trying to execute their duties, and I can tell by the demeanor of some of these responses from neighborhood filmers that you are more "in your face aggressor" than bystander in these situations (if these anecdotal situations even exist...). A camera is a powerful visual. People see cops + camera and they immediatly assume there is something out of the ordinary taking place. These bystanders are unaware of your paranoid obsession with authority and naturally believe something WRONG is going on. YOU are actually creating a dangerous environment if you go about your filming in the way that I imagine you "vigilantes" do. Or I am completely wrong and you can provide some videos to the contrary. Lemme guess, they were able to confiscate every peice of footage ever filmed by EVERYONE who posted suggesting they have filmed police attrocities on the regular...

PINAC has tons of them. Sites owner was himself charged with resisting without violence etc. He wasn't charged with firetapping thought but there's plenty of stories of that kind too.

Was the message heard.....from word?

edit to +:
HOme Is.....

[edit on 17-7-2010 by Perseus Apex]

Originally posted by zzombie
Just a thought....

What if they're taking steps toward eliminating police, and replacing it with Military police ?

you mean martial law? im almost certain those steps are already in place

You shouldn't need a law to ensure lawful activity is legal.

We are slowing moving to Napoleonic law, where everything not legally permitted, is illegal.

If it's not written in law citizens can videotape police, it's illegal.
If it's not written in law you're allowed to cross the street, it's illegal.

We don't need new laws to defend our already existing rights, we need fools like this Congressman to make it known what our rights already are.

[edit on 17-7-2010 by mryanbrown]

Originally posted by Silicis n Volvo

Originally posted by zzombie
Just a thought....

What if they're taking steps toward eliminating police, and replacing it with Military police ?

you mean martial law? im almost certain those steps are already in place

Due to the way both state and federal Constitutions are written. They don't need to eliminate police to declare martial law. The governor just needs to invite the military into civil jurisdiction.

[edit on 17-7-2010 by mryanbrown]

that should have been done ages ago i was born in the usa raised in the usa and see cops beating our citizens where did it go wrong.... i'll tell you this when we stopped paying attention the elites pulled the wool over our heads take it off people