Supreme Court rejects plea to block taping of police
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court has rejected an Illinois prosecutor's plea to allow enforcement of a law aimed at stopping people from recording police officers on the job.
The justices on Monday left in place a lower court ruling that found that the state's anti-eavesdropping law violates free speech rights when used against people who tape law enforcement officers. The law sets out a maximum prison term of 15 years.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in 2010 against Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez to block prosecution of ACLU staff for recording police officers performing their duties in public places, one of the group's long-standing monitoring missions.
Opponents of the law say the right to record police is vital to guard against abuses.
The justices on Monday left in place a lower court ruling that found that the state's anti-eavesdropping law violates free speech rights when used against people who tape law enforcement officers. The law sets out a maximum prison term of 15 years.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in 2010 against Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez to block prosecution of ACLU staff for recording police officers performing their duties in public places, one of the group's long-standing monitoring missions.
Opponents of the law say the right to record police is vital to guard against abuses.
I'm kind of curious of any of the elected officials that either came up with this law or signed off on it were reelected earlier this month?
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Good. Recording police is an absolute necessity in this day and age of rampant police abuse of power. I don't always agree with the ACLU, especially since they don't seem to care about the 2nd Amendment being trampled on like they do about the 1st, but this is a good call by them. Glad they won.
Good. About da*n time the courts sided with the people instead of the state police powers.
What's good for the goose....Â
The Police can't have it both ways. They are only too happy to show a video of someone commiting a crime but when someone shows a Police Officer abusing a suspect they want it stopped.
In this case WTG ACLU.
Glad the ACLU exists. They're the only ones fighting to keep our civil rights. A lot of states have these unconstitutional laws about filming police and are convicting people illegally. Thats the problem when you have corrupt officials pass these unconstitutional laws. They can take quite a few years to get back off the books again.
Gotta totally, 100% agree with the ACLU on this issue. I'm wondering why such a law was even thought up in the first place...to protect abusive officers, mayhaps?
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If they're a good, honest cop a policeman should have NO issue being taped in public while performing their duty of protection for the public.
The ACLU haters seem rather silent today.
 @IslandAtheist Even a broken clock...
 ACLU. got it right. The police can record you but you can not record them! (No longer).