The Police, the Public, and the Video Recorder
A very interesting New York Times article has come to our attention. It discusses the increasing use of video cameras (including body-mounted cameras) by both the police and the public, and notes that the issue of citizens videotaping police in the performance of their duties is coming up nationwide.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which covers New York, still hasn't directly addressed the issue (see our entry of July 27, 2011); but an opinion out of the First Circuit, which is next door in Massachusetts, has handed a major victory to those who believe the First Amendment protects the right to record police activity.
The case is Glik v. Cunniffe and in a nutshell the scenario goes like this: Simon Glik was arrested for videotaping another man's arrest. The charges were dismissed, and Mr. Glik sued the arresting officers.
The officers countered by demanding that Mr. Glik's complaint be dismissed. It made no difference whether his version of the relevant events were true, they argued: they had 'qualified immunity' (an official can't be sued for actions taken on the job, if he or she is going about that job in a reasonable way). An officer isn't entitled to qualified immunty, though, if his action violates a 'clearly established' constitutional right. The trial court refused to dismiss the case, and the officers appealed.
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