… without fear of being arrested for violating the law against video or audiotaping cops in public:
(Reuters) – The Supreme Court refused on Monday to revive a controversial Illinois law that prohibited audio recordings of police officers acting in public places, a ban that critics said violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Without comment, the court on Monday let stand a May 8 ruling by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago that blocked enforcement of the law, which had made it a felony to record audio of conversations unless all parties consented.
In a 2-1 ruling, the 7th Circuit called the law “the broadest of its kind,” and said it likely violated the free speech and free press guarantees in the First Amendment.
It would have been better if the Supreme Court had taken the case and then upheld the decision of the 7th Circuit, but one takes what one can get. By the way, if law enforcement officials are doing nothing wrong why should they fear videotaping and audiotaping of their actions in public? Just sayin.’
And no, this is not a privacy issue. These are public servants acting in an official capacity. They have no protected zone of privacy when they are out in public and working, just as you as an employee have no expectation of privacy at your workplace. So take that and stuff it in your Xmas stocking, Justice Posner.
Seventh Circuit Opinion in the Alvarez case can be found here: LINK
