Federal Court Ruling - Citizens CAN Record Police in Public

[toyotafan]

Citizens with cameras can now record police when in the public - Federal Court Ruling from The U.S. Court of Appeals in Boston (1st Cir.)

Technology and the concept of "the media" is changing at a very rapid pace. It used to be that the media would drive up to the scene of a police action in a big "Good Times" van and setup for a shot, upwards of 30 minutes after the really juicy events unfolded and do a clean-up shot.

Today, tens of millions of US Citizens carry a HD video camera with them everywhere they go, and tens of thousands of them are looking for good blog content or rare and unique video to upload to YouTube and be the next viral hit reviewed by =3. So if they happen to be in the vicinity of some police action - they just whip out the phone and start to record.

So, what do you do if you're recording on a public street, in open air with dozens of other people around and the policy single you out and tell you to turn off your camera, and you refuse and get arrested and charged with wiretapping and/or violating the 2-party consent recording laws?

You sue the bastards.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Boston (1st Cir.) just ruled that the right to film police in the performance of their public duties in open public property is a “basic, vital, and well-established liberty safeguarded by the First Amendment."

Court Ruling Brief
http://www.rcfp.org/newsitems/index.php?i=120​00

Background Video


---------- Post added at 10:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:51 PM ----------

Here are some other videos worth watching:











---------- Post added at 11:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 PM ----------

Here are some more, looks like this court ruling will probably go to the Supreme Court and will be the law on the land either this or next session.

[MuddyTacoma]

Some of these really tick me off.