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Facing 16 Years In Prison For Videotaping Police

krou sends this snip from the Maine Civil Liberties Union: "The ACLU of Maryland is defending Anthony Graber, who faces as much as sixteen years in prison if found guilty of violating state wiretap laws because he recorded video of an officer drawing a gun during a traffic stop. ... Once [the Maryland State Police] learned of the video on YouTube, Graber's parents' house was raided, searched, and four of his computers were confiscated. Graber was arrested, booked, and jailed. Their actions are a calculated method of intimidation. Another person has since been similarly charged under the same statute. The wiretap law being used to charge Anthony Graber is intended to protect private communication between two parties. According to David Rocah, the ACLU attorney handling Mr. Graber's case, 'To charge Graber with violating the law, you would have to conclude that a police officer on a public road, wearing a badge and a uniform, performing his official duty, pulling someone over, somehow has a right to privacy when it comes to the conversation he has with the motorist.'" Here are a factsheet (PDF) on the case from the ACLU of Maryland, and the video at issue.

2 of 878 comments (clear)

  1. There's a difference by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Between a victim and an innocent victim. What the GP is saying is that yes, the wiretapping charge is BS and he's a victim in that way. However the guy was wildly and dangerously breaking traffic law. It isn't as though the police just found a guy at random and said "Let's pick on him!" The guy is a victim, but not at all innocent.

  2. Re:America by Khyber · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Like the freedom to be videotaped everywhere you go, like the UK?

    No fucking thanks.

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.