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TN: Man Arrested For Unlawful Photography
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bkrafft
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Post subject: TN: Man Arrested For Unlawful Photography Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:53 am |
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Longtime Regular |
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Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:02 pm Posts: 571
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There is also a copy of the affidavit of complaint with the article:
http://www.tricities.com/tri/news/local/article/man_arrested_for_unlawful_photography/11576/
Quote: Nearly everyone carries a cell phone and it’s hard to find one without that camera feature. It’s convenient when you want to take that impromptu photo, but a Tri-Cities area man ended up behind bars after snapping a shot of a Johnson County sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop.
The cell phone photographer says the arrest was intimidation, but the deputy says he feared for his life.
“Here’s a guy who takes me out of the car and arrests me in front of my kids. For what? To take a picture of a police officer?” said Scott Conover.
A Johnson County sheriff’s deputy arrested Scott Conover for unlawful photography.
“He says you took a picture of me. It’s illegal to take a picture of a law enforcement officer,” said Conover.
Conover took a picture of a sheriff’s deputy on the side of the road on a traffic stop. Conover was stunned by the charge.
“This is a public highway,” said Conover.
And it was not a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy as Tennessee code states. The deputy also asked Conover to delete the picture three times.
“He said if you don’t give it to me, you’re going to jail,” said Conover.
Under the advice of the Johnson County attorney, the sheriff would not comment and the arresting deputy said he didn’t want to incriminate himself by talking to us.
In an affidavit, the deputy said he saw something black with a red light which he thought was a threat. Conover was also arrested for pointing a laser at a law enforcement officer.
“At no time did I have a laser. I had an iPhone,” said Conover.
When you take a picture in the dark with Conover’s Apple iPhone, there is no flash or any light that comes from the phone that could be mistaken for a laser.
In a witness statement by a Mountain City officer, is says the deputy asked about the picture rather than looking for a laser.
“If you arrested me, wouldn’t you take the laser? If you arrested me, wouldn’t you take the camera?” said Conover.
He expects these charges to be dismissed.
“This guy maliciously arrested me, charging me with phony charges that he don’t even understand himself,” Conover said.
The American Civil Liberties Union would not comment on Conover’s case without fully reviewing the allegations, but told us there is no law that prohibits anyone from taking photographs in public areas, even of police. Taking photos is protected by the First Amendment. Conover is ordered to appear in a Johnson County court on August 6th.
_________________ If the Government does not obey the Constitution, then what is Treason? -- Unknown
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kimberman
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Post subject: Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:59 pm |
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Wise Elder |
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Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2005 7:48 pm Posts: 2782 Location: St. Paul
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Here's a sample of the discussion being raised by this incident.
Quote: I would add another question along these lines. Why is it acceptable not only that ordinary citizens (particularly members of racial and ethnic minorities) must behave with extreme discretion, and often show humiliating deference, to avoid being abused or arrested when dealing with police, but also that a significant fraction of police are power-abusing bullies with hair-trigger tempers? Call me crazy, but it seems to me that those enforcing the law should be selected for thick skin and the ability to defuse adversarial situations rather than make them worse. Many police behave decently and even admirably, but there are also so many who are hot-headed jerks that it’s obvious that the police culture has systematic management problems. http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/5965.ht ... ent-248450
The silent majority of "good" cops guarantee that these thugs will always be able to prey on civilians. They (and only they) could stop every one of these incidents but they won't. That makes them willing accomplices IMHO.
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Scott Hughes
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Post subject: Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:16 pm |
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Longtime Regular |
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Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 10:44 pm Posts: 1525 Location: Isanti, MN
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Quote: Under the advice of the Johnson County attorney, the sheriff would not comment and the arresting deputy said he didn’t want to incriminate himself by talking to us.
The Johnson County attorney is probably trying to sort out how he might be able to limit the plaintiffs award following the impending law suit or settlement.
_________________ “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”
- Winston Churchill -
WITHOUT LIBERTY THERE IS NO FREEDOM
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bkrafft
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Post subject: Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:04 pm |
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Longtime Regular |
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Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:02 pm Posts: 571
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Scott Hughes wrote: The Johnson County attorney is probably trying to sort out how he might be able to limit the plaintiffs award following the impending law suit or settlement.
I was thinking about that the other day, after I read about yet another brutality suit being settled "with no admission of wrongdoing".
Now if <I>I</i> were a lawyer, and there was a PD with more than one or two such settlements, I would be salivating for the next lawsuit, where I would argue that since the PD refused to admit wrongdoing, then regardless of what their written procedures might say it must be unwritten department policy to (for example) cuff and stuff a black guy after getting a call about a white bank robber, and then charging him with bogus charges to shut him up.
But IANAL
_________________ If the Government does not obey the Constitution, then what is Treason? -- Unknown
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DeanC
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Post subject: Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:34 am |
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Longtime Regular |
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Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2006 9:54 am Posts: 5270 Location: Minneapolis
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_________________ I am defending myself... in favor of that!
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