Thread: Guy who videotaped off duty cop drawing a gun on him faces 16 years

http://abcnews.go.com/US/TheLaw/vide...ry?id=11179076

But it wasn't his daredevil stunt that has the 25-year-old staff sergeant for the Maryland Air National Guard facing the possibility of 16 years in prison. For that, he was issued a speeding ticket. It was the video that Graber posted on YouTube one week later -- taken with his helmet camera -- of a plainclothes state trooper cutting him off and drawing a gun during the traffic stop near Baltimore.

"In early April, state police officers raided Graber's parents' home in Abingdon, Md. They confiscated his camera, computers and external hard drives. Graber was indicted for allegedly violating state wiretap laws by recording the trooper without his consent."

that's such bullshit. the cop breaks the law and he gets in trouble because he happened to be filming? if he didn't have that camera running, i seriously doubt that cop would have gotten in trouble. they should be commending the fact that he caught the cop breaking the law, not raiding his house and stealing his possessions.

and handing out 16 year prison sentences for it...

the cops do not have, in public, a reasonable expectation of privacy... Nor SHOULD they. The public should be able to oversight anything they do. And if they can videotape US without our consent, then we should be able to reciprocate.

Originally Posted by Kanati8869

and handing out 16 year prison sentences for it...

the cops do not have, in public, a reasonable expectation of privacy... Nor SHOULD they. The public should be able to oversight anything they do. And if they can videotape US without our consent, then we should be able to reciprocate.

"But it wasn't his daredevil stunt that has the 25-year-old staff sergeant for the Maryland Air National Guard facing the possibility of 16 years in prison."

i'm pretty sure it's the cop who's looking at 16 years....either way, i agree with everything you said. in court they always take the cops word, the citizens have to show PROOF of what transpired, and isn't this the only way? and they're saying it's illegal? it's ridiculously absurd. i can't believe this law even exists.

No the kid on the bike was the Staff Sgt.

Originally Posted by Consultant

No the kid on the bike was the Staff Sgt.

oops!

Sad - and the officers, in their official capacity and duties, have the same rights to privacy as the person that they arrest. None. Those documents are public record.

Sounds like a good time to use the oft cliched line, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.

so i guess its ok Cops has been doing it for 20+ years?

oh thats right the Cops know what is being recorded.

what is Maryland's law? In some states both parties have to know they are being recorded.

if you read the whole article, the ACLU lawyer says that judges have always sided with the person doing the taping in public. The cops are just trying to intimidate this guy.