View Full Version : Texas republican wants to limit your rights of filming LEO !
ahhh yes another proof its that both sides want power control anyway they can get it
http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2015/03/13/texas-rep-villalba-files-bill-that-criminalizes-bloggers-citizens-filming-cops/
and yes I read it and I agree the main issue is you will be allowed to film if you are a 3rd party and stay away but if you are the one being falsely held or arrested you cant film it ! and the fact is often there is nobody else around
hope others spread this and write him in Texas
I do think some get to in face but that is there right to do so as long as they are not obstructing but this bill goes to far IMHO
sevenhelmet
03-13-15, 21:20
No. Not that I like all the disrespect for the police lately, but you can't infringe on the 1st amendment any more than the 2nd. He is claiming that it is for officers' protection, so I think- at minimum- the wording needs to be adjusted. Or the whole thing just needs to go away.
The bill, HB 2918, adds to the definition of what constitutes “interfering” with an officer’s duties, and would make it a Class B Misdemeanor to film, record, photograph, or document the officer within 25 feet while that officer is performing his official duties. That distance is extended to 100 feet if the person is carrying a concealed handgun
I have a dash cam. Under this bill I cannot pass a cop who has pulled someone over on the side of the road.
The google Street View camera, might as well not even come to Texas.
Just realized this bill is in response to the OCT JackWagons who are running around Arlington filming cops.
http://photographyisnotacrime.com/blog/2015/01/texas-police-arrest-cop-watchers-one-armed-even-though-no-laws-broken/
Just realized this bill is in response to the OCT JackWagons who are running around Arlington filming cops.
http://photographyisnotacrime.com/blog/2015/01/texas-police-arrest-cop-watchers-one-armed-even-though-no-laws-broken/
One has to wonder what might be accomplished if all that energy and determination, combined with a willingness to do things that might not be the best idea, were channeled towards useful and productive activities.
Here's a ****ing simple one. Instead of "film a cop" and walking around like Big Brother with a gun trying to catch a cop ****ing up, how about trying to work with the police as a "law enforcement" protection group of armed volunteers that congregate in areas where police are likely to be targeted by Ferguson types?
Individuals could voluntarily submit to background checks to keep those with criminal and mental issues out of the group. LEOs would feel support from the group rather than annoyance and would probably see their "open carry" concerns in a more positive light. A "we protect OUR police" activist group that is lawfully armed has so much potential I don't know where to start.
If something like that existed around here, I'd be there several nights a week without pay.
Someone please correct me if I am wrong. I think SCOTUS has already ruled on this issue and they allowed to let stand a lower court ruling on the matter that says it is legal. In addition there is case law from the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals as well.
Averageman
03-14-15, 07:03
I can see both sides of it here in Texas.
There have been some rather stupid cases of cavity searches on the side of the road and one local LEO (who was later fired) who thought a WWF "suplex" applied to a 60 y.o. lady on Main Street (in my little town, WTF?) was necassary for a parking violation. These may be the extream examples of bad police work, but we need to be protected from it.
I'm not anti-LEO, every interaction I've ever had with Cops has been drama free. As much as I think Cops should have cameras to protect them, perhaps the average citizen should have the same protections.
We live in a time when everything you do has the potentail to be filmed. We all need to understand that an act accordingly.
sevenhelmet
03-14-15, 10:32
The more I think about this, the more conflicted I feel. On the one hand, I want LEO to be able to do their job, but on the other I want citizens to be able to exercise their rights to free speech. The open disrespect toward endangered officers Ferguson, LA, and other places makes my blood boil, but so do the extreme examples of police overreaction. I think the former begets the latter- it's a bigger version of the "play stupid games, win stupid prizes" mantra, but I also think that outside of hotspots like Ferguson, this kind of thing is relatively rare, and the police generally take the high road due to their professional obligation to do so.
The whole thing boils down to respect in my mind, and that's not something that I think can be legislated, especially if it has the potential to infringe on Constitutionally granted rights.
SilverBullet432
03-14-15, 12:15
For sure an infringement on free speech. The cops are citizens like you and I. Not some "elite" death squad alfa black ops force...
Voodoo_Man
03-14-15, 12:37
Holy click bait thread title.
It has nothing to do with stopping anyone from filming LE, did anyone actually read the link?
The bill, HB 2918, adds to the definition of what constitutes “interfering” with an officer’s duties, and would make it a Class B Misdemeanor to film, record, photograph, or document the officer within 25 feet while that officer is performing his official duties. That distance is extended to 100 feet if the person is carrying a concealed handgun. There is an exception for news media, but the current language of the bill does not include bloggers, independent journalists, or private citizens, and it is not clear whether online media outlets would be included in the exception either.
I see no issue with this, having been in several situations where people would almost push me out of the way to get a better angle with their cellphone.
No one is saying they aren't allowed, of course they, record until you are blue in the face, but do it at a safe distance which allows LE to conduct their investigation without interference.
Holy click bait thread title.
It has nothing to do with stopping anyone from filming LE, did anyone actually read the link?
I see no issue with this, having been in several situations where people would almost push me out of the way to get a better angle with their cellphone.
No one is saying they aren't allowed, of course they, record until you are blue in the face, but do it at a safe distance which allows LE to conduct their investigation without interference.
I don't see filming as interfering. Targeting CHL holders specifically.
Yeah I have a big problem with this.
It appears to say that a person can't record, by video or audio, any encounter he or she has with police. Naturally, it's still OK for the police to record the encounters without restriction.
This restriction of constitutional rights will never stand up, even in the unlikely event it gets passed.
I don't see filming as interfering. Targeting CHL holders specifically.
Yeah I have a big problem with this.
How close should you be permitted to be to facilitate you filming?
yes I did read it :) and sorry no bait ? it limits your rights why I said LIMITS not STOPS or takes away :)
and if you are within limit it becomes illegal which means you cant film it yourself if you are the one pulled over ? that very plain and simple and is the major issue with the way its worded
as said camera in your car illegal
your phone illegal
cop doing something to your spouse with you illegal
and as said targeting Concealed holders with dif set of rules !
Holy click bait thread title.
It has nothing to do with stopping anyone from filming LE, did anyone actually read the link?
I see no issue with this, having been in several situations where people would almost push me out of the way to get a better angle with their cellphone.
No one is saying they aren't allowed, of course they, record until you are blue in the face, but do it at a safe distance which allows LE to conduct their investigation without interference.
How close should you be permitted to be to facilitate you filming?
You should be able to video or audio record your own interaction with police. Are you opposed to that? This bill makes that illegal.
This is about as stupid as it gets. If you are interfering with a LEO doing their duty then you should be fined. If you are protecting your rights the LEOs need to stop getting all butt hurt about cameras. If you are doing your job correctly then it should not matter. I have been filmed many times in combat and I never do anything different. Do it the correct way every time no matter who is looking or not looking. It is pretty simple.
This is about as stupid as it gets. If you are interfering with a LEO doing their duty then you should be fined. If you are protecting your rights the LEOs need to stop getting all butt hurt about cameras. If you are doing your job correctly then it should not matter. I have been filmed many times in combat and I never do anything different. Do it the correct way every time no matter who is looking or not looking. It is pretty simple.
That is a great way to put it.
It has gotten to the point in some areas that everyone should be using body cameras and dash cameras. Imagine if Darren Wilson had been wearing a body camera?
SWATcop556
03-14-15, 18:38
This is about as stupid as it gets. If you are interfering with a LEO doing their duty then you should be fined. If you are protecting your rights the LEOs need to stop getting all butt hurt about cameras. If you are doing your job correctly then it should not matter. I have been filmed many times in combat and I never do anything different. Do it the correct way every time no matter who is looking or not looking. It is pretty simple.
***Golf Clap***
I've spent my whole career being filmed, either in my car or with the proliferation of cameras in phones. Frankly film all you want without interfering. Once you interfere don't be upset when there are consequences. Simple as that.
***Golf Clap***
I've spent my whole career being filmed, either in my car or with the proliferation of cameras in phones. Frankly film all you want without interfering. Once you interfere don't be upset when there are consequences. Simple as that.
Well said. That is what the law should say.
That is from another member that asked me to post this as he does not have enough post to post here. We live in the same area and I agree with him on this.
I am pro LE, and most of my dealings with LE are great, but I have had my interactions with some that were not so professional on their part. Lets keep in mind that many of my friends are LE
What if it is you that are being policed, and you have a concealed weapon, and you are filming your interaction with the police? I know that I would film ANY and ALL interactions with LE down here, to protect me and them, especially if said LE was over-zealous. There have been more that a few instances that I know of down here that needed intervention, either by another officer or a supervisor. I think this is a limit on rights and should be stopped dead in its tracks. Now if someone is truly interfering, then they need to be held accountable, but filming?
Law enforcement videos most or all pubic encounters with dashcams and increasingly now POV body cams in order to keep everybody honest and to clarify potential misunderstandings after the fact. Certainly ordinary citizens on the other side of that encounter should have that same protection. The act of recording alone does not interfere with an LEO. If it does lead to physical interference, the police already have procedures, protocols, and legal remedies that they can implement to resolve that situation. I presume that interfering with a police officer is already illegal, even in Texas.
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