Videotaping a cop can get you a felony

[Gzus]

Videotaping Police Is Often Cause for Arrest - ABC News

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[ZachS]

There's a great site dedicated to keeping track of practices like this.

 

[Decidion]

Is there someplace that shows what the laws/rights are on a state by state basis? I'm interested specifically in what they are for Oregon & Washington.

 

[Member 5605]

IIRC Oregon was not a two party state.

and my memory is shorter than my... #*&#@ so if that tells you anything.

 

[ZachS]

Is there someplace that shows what the laws/rights are on a state by state basis? I'm interested specifically in what they are for Oregon & Washington.

To the best of my knowledge, there are no Oregon laws about videotaping somebody without their consent (unless they're naked and certain other conditions are met).

There are plenty of laws regarding audio recording... Here are the relevant ones you'd need to know for making an audio and video recording. I'm too lazy to look up the case law, so remember that courts might interpret the following language differently than you do:

165.540 Obtaining contents of communications.

(1) ...a person may not:
(c) Obtain or attempt to obtain the whole or any part of a conversation by means of any device, contrivance, machine or apparatus, whether electrical, mechanical, manual or otherwise, if not all participants in the conversation are specifically informed that their conversation is being obtained.

Exceptions exist for:
"A person making a recording during a felony that endangers human life."
LEOs making recordings in the line of duty
Recordings of public events, and certain private meetings

Regardless, some local officers will not hesitate to attack videotapers

Video of the incident (start watching at 2:00 or so)

The officer was found to have used unnecessary force, and the videotaper received a $55,000 settlement from the city.


This kind of thing also happens at just about every protest (the police often claim that video cameras are weapons that can be thrown at them).

One might wonder if they have something to hide, but I don't think that could be possible for such brave upholders of law and justice.

 

[pdxjohann]

screw that noise. Video and Audio all public persons now more than ever, I say. Geesh, what cowards that police force must be for the fear of their own actions being seen. Sniveling cowards hiding behind lawyers, cowering, shaking, pissing in their pants. 'Don't let them see what I do. Please protect me Mr. Lawyer.' Explain this in plain English. Pols, Cops, Reporters, I urge you to be professional at all times and run the bilge pumps to purge the stink. Think of it, calling in government and lawyers to hide what is done as a professional civil servant.

<rant over>
Johann

 

[kaoboi503]

I believe that it is considered illegal to record police in states that have a 2 party law. In Oregon, we have a 1 party law in which only one of the parties involved in a conversation needs to know they are being recorded. I may be wrong though.