Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Remember the Maryland State Trooper Citation for Video Recording?

Remember the motorcyclist with the "helmet cam" who got cited for recording an officer issuing a ticket?  The Baltimore Sun reports that the citations have been dismissed.  Here's an excerpt from the Sun with what the Judge had to say:

"Judge Emory A Pitt Jr. tossed all the charges filed against Anthony Graber, leaving only speeding and other traffic violations, and most likely sparing him a trial that had been scheduled for Oct. 12. The judge ruled that Maryland's wire tap law allows recording of both voice and sound in areas where privacy cannot be expected. He ruled that a police officer on a traffic stop has no expectation of privacy.

'Those of us who are public officials and are entrusted with the power of the state are ultimately accountable to the public,'  the judge wrote. 'When we exercise that power in [a] public for[um], we should not expect our actions to be shielded from public observation.'"
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Bravo!  I got a lot of email on this one, something about the citations really offended my old hippie pals.

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