thomashawk.com — Nick Evans, a former intern at The Galveston County Daily News, was cleared of his misdemeanor from refusing to stop photographing an arrest during Mardi Gras 2007. His acquittal extends further than Galveston, Texas, however, as it makes strides for photographers' First Amendment rights everywhere.
May 15, 2008 View in Crawl 4
jowsleyMay 15, 2008
From the linked story: "Conveniently, and not surprising to me, police deleted some of Adam's photos while they had him in custody which would have proved he was outside the perimeter established by the police"
j3ebsMay 16, 2008
Tase, tase, tase! Put the taser on him! We've got an unruly suspect! Failing to comply with a police officer, resisting arrest, aiding and abetting! Tase, tase, tase!
tonylocneMay 16, 2008
if you were being sarcastic, I would digg you up.
rizzob23May 16, 2008
The police should be taped at all times. One of the things I do like about Obama is his Illinois legislation to tape interrogations and confessions to protect suspects against beatings. The police resisted strongly, presumably because the beatings allowed them to force confessions. Its no secret that cops are annoyed by fact that the accused has rights. Just go to a cop website or forum and you'll see tons of anecdotal evidence that this is the prevailing attitude. I think that everytime the police are taped, it brings us a little bit closer to actually holding the police accountable for their actions.The way things are now is terrible. Interrogations lead to beatings. Suspects are often beaten or mishandled upon arrest. Search warrants invariably lead to destruction of property with no compensation, even when contraband isn't found. No-knock raids result in the death of innocents, scrambling to protect themselves against what they percieve to be an unauthorised intruder. Legal threats are made in a attempt to force testimony. Individuals are frequently searched without anything resembling probable cause, then the cops lie in court to cover up that fact. Every single day, the police wipe their ass with the Constitution in the name of expediency. Nothing is sacred.In an age where camera tech is ubiquitous and very cheap, law enforcement remains opposed to its use many situations. This ruling is a landmark because it sets a precedent that the police can be legally taped by a private citizen. It is a small step toward accountability. If the police violate your Constitutional rights, the best you can usually hope for is certain evidence being labeled as "inadmissable." I hope that increased surveillance of the police will one day result in a policy change in that regard. Constitutional violations and property destruction by law enforcement should become criminal acts, punishable by the same standard that applies to private citizens.
rizzob23May 16, 2008
Do a web search. Very small cameras and wearable digital recording devices are already available. The video quality isn't great for most of these units, but they are rapidly improving. The barrier is that few people are buying and wearing them, not lack of availability.
willfeMay 18, 2008
"Who should have more rights here" -- the private citizen exercising his/her rights :) Sorry, sport, that's the rule. You have no legitimate expectation of privacy in a *public* place (that's why it's called a "public place"). A civil servant, such as a police officer, most certainly has no expectation of privacy in almost *any* circumstances (i.e. immunity from being photographed or filmed) in the course of his/her duty."I think there needs to be a law that states that once some ask that you do not photograph them, then you must stop." -- fortunately, you're not a lawmaker.The current situation is favorable to the alternative you suggest: "I request that you stop taking pictures of me/filming my behavior, now would you mind terribly handing over all your money in a paper bag? What?!?! You can't use that picture to convict me of robbery, since I told you to stop filming and you didn't ... that's not legal!"The worst we get in the current situation are embarrassed cops, good coverage of events of interest to the public, more convicted criminals, and paparazzi chasing self-important celebrities.I think what we've got now is better :) Keep on filming, everybody! When a loon like this one asks you to stop, politely smile and thank them for their input, then keep on shooting. Be sure you film the punches they throw. It'll help convict those dumb enough to turn violent when they see a camera lens. Eventually they'll learn.
Closed AccountMay 28, 2008
Still see you are lying about your career on the internet.
singapore88Feb 23, 2009
way to go!