Police arrest a college student taping police activities as part of a group called "Cop Watch"

So it's ok for them to put cameras on street corners and film us yet we can't film them breaking the law themselves?

Doesn't make any sense. I don't want to be filmed out and about esp when I am not breaking any laws yet when a citizen sees a cop breaking the law they can't film it? It doesn't make sense.

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


If you are in a public place, you can video tape anyone. However, since there are now a gazillion laws, one of which is interfering with the duties of a peace officer, anyone can still be arrested. And when it comes to drug arrests, they could possibly throw in that this was interfering with undercover operations. I know, I know .... I’m just stating what tptb may say.

You'd think that officers of the law would be proud to have the public see the fine job they do, wouldn't you?

reply to post by PsykoOps


"Interfering or "obstruction" can only be used when there is significant efford to mess with the cops. Such as standing in way, physically touching them or getting on their face. So we know this whole charge is based on a lie to begin with. "

Nope.. There is zero in the statute about "messing with the cops", more like "Whoever shall resist, obstruct, or oppose any officer". Withholding evidence is 'obstructing' as far as the law goes. You don't have to like it, I dont, but understanding how cops surgically contort arrestable statutes is the key to defending/protecting yourself.

If you feel the police are lying or making poop up.. prove it in court and you're a free man, until then you are rarely ever going to win a curbside legal debate with a uniformed expert.

Cops dont always care if you get charged, rarely actually.. especially a dime a dozen misdemeanor "COC"/attitude pinch (COC = Contempt Of Cop). I'd be willing to say cops know 90% of the time a COC pinch won't get filed.. but so what?.. dude went to jail, did a few hours of 'local time' and now has an "arrest record".. on top of that.. cops got the video they wanted.

www.lawserver.com...

Whoever shall resist, obstruct, or oppose any officer as defined in s. 943.10(1), (2), (3), (6), (7), (8), or (9); member of the Parole Commission or any administrative aide or supervisor employed by the commission; county probation officer; parole and probation supervisor; personnel or representative of the Department of Law Enforcement; or other person legally authorized to execute process in the execution of legal process or in the lawful execution of any legal duty, without offering or doing violence to the person of the officer, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083..

Yeah it's not defined as such but no prosecutor will go ahead with the case if it isn't something that can be said to be real interfering. At least I haven't seen a case out of my memory.