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Leave a Message, Go To Jail

Posted by timothy on from the live-free-or-hey-shut-that-thing-off dept.

Okian Warrior writes "A man in Weare, New Hampshire was charged with felony wiretapping for recording the police during a traffic stop — based on a cell phone call he made as an officer approached his vehicle. From the article: Police considered it wiretapping because the call was being recorded by a voice mail service without the officer's consent."

9 of 486 comments (clear)

  1. America, land of the "free". by Gordonjcp · · Score: 3, Funny

    Makes me more and more glad I live in the UK.

    1. Re:America, land of the "free". by Zapotek · · Score: 5, Funny

      Because when I climb 5 meter tall poles with wire-cutters in my teeth people tend to freak out.

    2. Re:America, land of the "free". by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 4, Funny

      PS. I live in the UK too and I have to keep my blinds shut due to the traffic camera firmly pointed towards my bedroom window.

      On behalf of all net denizens, I'd like to thank you - please continue keeping those blinds closed.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    3. Re:America, land of the "free". by Intron · · Score: 5, Funny

      The giveaway is the Altair up on blocks in the yard.

      --
      Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
  2. Re:Double standard? by grapeape · · Score: 5, Funny

    Because if its the police doing the recording its easier for the recording to go missing or accidentally glitch than it would be if the person being pulled over did the recording.

  3. Well, that answers that by Posting=!Working · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dear New Hampshire,
    You can now shorten your slogan to just "Die."

    Love,
    The police (not the band)

    --
    This sentence no verb.
  4. Re:Really? by tsalmark · · Score: 2, Funny

    Let me get off the pole before you take the angle grinder to it. Thanks.

  5. Re:hurry up and revolt by SimonTS · · Score: 3, Funny

    They're Americans. They're already revolting ;-P

  6. Re:Make it clear to your DA by jamesh · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's not abuse, it's almost certain to be the natural extension of the law. The laws on wiretapping don't generally specify the methods that are used to do the actual recording, so an audio recording of any sort is equal to any other. If you're in a 2 party consent state, then this sort of prosecution is to be expected, if the person did the recording, which it sounds like he did, then he'll end up being charged and likely convicted.

    By your logic, if I am in line at Dunkin Donuts and the person in front of me (Joe) is on the phone leaving a message while I'm talking to my friend then Joe is guilty of illegal wiretapping.

    Even worse in that case because there are almost certainly police officers present.