TheAgitator.com
Watching the Watchers
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008An attorney who had aspiration to be become a prosecutor is himself being prosecuted in Massachusetts for videotaping a couple of police officers while they were arresting a teenager.
I defend videotaping the police here.
How lame is the behavior of these type of cops going to get?! I hope we get someone in the white house that will defend our rights to protect ourselves from these types, in the police state! Then again, money trumps all!? The poor will be the ones baring the brunt of the “punishment”. Most others don’t seem to care about the probelms the poor have in the justice system. They are “easy pickin’s!”
And it takes a “foreigner” to point out that this is supposed to be a free country! Being from Russia, his actions just really must dig at the officers that were video taped!
Well, we don’t know if what they claim is true or not. We’d have to watch the video to see if this guy was interfering with the police doing their official duties.
If the guy was actually coming in between the cops and the suspects, then he should be arrested for interfering with a police investigation, aiding and abetting, and possibly disturbing the peace. The wiretapping charge is dumb, tho, and it should never have even been considered.
However, if they guy was standing back 50 feet from the scene (I’m just using an arbitrary number), then he should get an apology from the city, as well as a nice little cash settlement for them causing him a few jobs.
We still have to wait to pass judgment until we know the facts, tho.
Nando,
While it is possible he got in the way. It is highly improbable. A recent law grad at the top of his class? What’s the motive?
This is one of those nightmare arrests for officers who think they can do whatever they want and write up their report, filling it with lies.
“Who is this guy?” “Oh hell :(”
Yeah, the guy almost got away because the cops were probably too busy hassling the guy about videoing them, and not paying attention to what they’re supposed to be doing.
Highway,
My thoughts exactly as I read this about the perp almost getting away…. police too busy hassling the innocent guy.
And EdinTally - ““Who is this guy?” “Oh hell :(”” - made me lol but so true.
EdinTally:
I hear what you’re saying. However, there is evidence in this case: the guy’s recording. All that needs to be done to conclude if he interfered or not is to look at the video.
Thats assuming the recording doesn’t somehow disappear.
Most wire taping statutes, as applied to private citizens recording situations where they are present, are a clear violation of civil liberties that only serve to protect the guilty.
This new tactic of police departments using wire taping laws to harass citizens is ludicrous. Using their interpretation video cameras that record sound are now illegal in all public places, period.
Does this mean TV news media routinely engages in illegal wire taping?