Filming Police is Your Right

Some free speech advocates are saying that a judges recent ruling on the right to film police officers on the street will not set any legal precedent, but is still considered to be out of line. U.S. district judge Mark Kearney ruled that citizens are not protected by the constitution when they film police officers unless doing it for the purpose of criticizing police activity. The ruling comes from the Philadelphia resident who claim that their rights were violated by an officers who took their cameras for recording them in action. The decision is contrary to the policy that in Philadelphia citizens are allowed to record officers in public for whatever reason. The ruling could become dangerous, however, if it influences future decisions.  However, the rest of the country — including higher courts, the Department of Justice and your average citizen — finds filming public police events to be an act of free speech. In the light of recent police brutality videos you can see how most police would want to suppress anyone trying to videotape any wrong doing that officers could be up to.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/filming-police-isnt-a-first-amendment-right-federal-judge-rules_us_56d5d57ce4b03260bf783785