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ILLINOIS: 75 years in prison for videotaping police? WTF!

Melensdad

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
Here is a news video, and 2 updates. The charges are not being dropped and its going to court. I hope this man wins. video starts at 17 seconds in. Normally I would say something like "ONLY IN ILLINOIS" but there are a several states where videotaping police is illegal. In most states its not illegal, but in the dozen states were it is its simply wrong and unjust.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNlJYSIzjoU&feature=player_embedded"]Courageous Illinois Man Faces 75 Years In Prison For Recording Cops - YouTube[/ame]
 
All I can say is its time to vote all these commy bastards out because thats all they are . :ermm:

You think the blacks caused some shit when they riot over bullshit , just wait untill enough well armed rednecks has had their fill of this crap . :hammer:
 
It is the new police state we now live in where more and more states are setting it up like this. Here in Kentucky you can't subpoena one cop against another cop. We have a local case going on now about that. 2 cops 2 different stories but the arresting officer can't be testified by a cop from another jurisdiction even though he saw what happened.

I don't know if I would call it commie but it does seem to come from the "my way or highway mentality".
 
If the police are doing their job (having been one), someone taking videos isn't a problem, if they edit it to show anything other than what happened, should be criminal, but the National press does that all the time.

Rodney King comes to mind, they took a small snippet and played it over and over again of the police beating King. They didn't show where king was trying to cave the police officers heads in... Selective editing.

But to just take a video of a bad cop and publishing it is a good thing, we are quickly heading to a police state, and this reminds the good folks that complacency isn't s good think.
 
This is absolutely frightening. But I have to say this, which is that we all sit back and allow it to happen. We might make a token comment about it in threads around the net, or talk about it over the dinner table; but what do we actually do about this nonsense? When push comes to shove, how many folk actually write their congressmen and women?

We live in a frightening world, which is becoming more oppressive and suppressive every day. I would imagine that the police forces around the globe should be in the front line for being seen to be working, and open to the view of the public that they serve. You'd think it was the other way round with these Politicians and Police forces, wouldn't you? :rolleyes:
 
I have to wonder after looking at this situation. A guy standing on his front porch videotapes police, he ends up facing 75 years in jail.

But what if it wasn't a guy doing the filming? What if you simply had cameras set up on your house to watch the area around your house and you got it all on film? So you have it recorded. Its automatic.

My questions are: do you get in trouble for HAVING the video? Do you get in trouble for FILMING it, even if the filming is automatic? Or do you get in trouble for putting it up on YOU TUBE?
 
Melensdad said:
I have to wonder after looking at this situation. A guy standing on his front porch videotapes police, he ends up facing 75 years in jail.

But what if it wasn't a guy doing the filming? What if you simply had cameras set up on your house to watch the area around your house and you got it all on film? So you have it recorded. Its automatic.

My questions are: do you get in trouble for HAVING the video? Do you get in trouble for FILMING it, even if the filming is automatic? Or do you get in trouble for putting it up on YOU TUBE?
Click to expand...
All good points and I would assume if the LEO's actually seen you taking the videos in a "in your face" kind of situation like some we all have seen posted on youtube would be a definate no no as well as if you posted them on you tube or they got leaked to the media would be the same results I would think . :unsure:

The Leo's love security camera footage if it helps them solve a crime from my own experience years ago but if it is filming them in a bad situation I doubt they would .

Bottom line is why isthis any different then police dash cams, traffic light cameras or webcams that are placred all over the place these days , weather its for weather related reasons or much like they have at major tourist attractions, cruise ships or places of interest. They are all over the world these days so what makes this that much different.

I just dont get it , I mean hell google earth is even a form of invasion of privacy IMHO . :hammer:
 
Melensdad said:
I have to wonder after looking at this situation. A guy standing on his front porch videotapes police, he ends up facing 75 years in jail.

But what if it wasn't a guy doing the filming? What if you simply had cameras set up on your house to watch the area around your house and you got it all on film? So you have it recorded. Its automatic.

My questions are: do you get in trouble for HAVING the video? Do you get in trouble for FILMING it, even if the filming is automatic? Or do you get in trouble for putting it up on YOU TUBE?
Click to expand...

That is a good question Mel. I have cameras that both do the inside and out side of my property. Now with being on a dead end a lot of people seemed to get stopped here within my cameras view.

Oh and Cowboy I got a video just today of an existing tenant cutting another persons space and removeing a lot of stuff. The police want copies of the video, gate records etc as well as the unit ID (guy's driver's license).
 
UPDATE: This from the 1st circuit court (New England region) so it does not directly affect the man from Illinois, but it may influence some of the judges actions. They ruled it is LEGAL for citizens to videotape police.

On Friday, August 26, 2011, the First Circuit Court of Appeals, which is New England's highest federal court just below the U.S. Supreme Court, ruled that citizens are allowed to videotape law officials while they conduct official duties.

The city's attorneys made the argument that police officers should have been exempt from a civil rights lawsuit in the first place in this case because the law is unclear as to whether there's a "constitutionally protected right to videotape police" conducting their daily duties in public.

"The filming of government officials engaged in their duties in a public place, including police officers performing their responsibilities, fits comfortably within these principles [of protected First Amendment activity].," said the Court. "Gathering information about government officials in a form that can readily be disseminated to others serves a cardinal First Amendment interest in protecting and promoting the free discussion of governmental affairs."

The Court added that the police officers should have understood this all along, and that videotaping public officials is not limited to the press.
Click to expand...
For the FULL story follow the link => http://www.dailytech.com/First+Circ...itizens+Can+Videotape+Police/article22587.htm​
 
This is outrageous. That is blatant suppression of equal rights. I felt compelled to put this in one of my articles.
 
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