Question by Nick from Utah: Is it legal to video camera police and post it online? What about when you get pulled over?
The other day I was getting off the highway exit to go to Walmart. I noticed all these barriers funneling all cars into one lane. There was a sign saying “Police Checkpoint: Prepare to Stop”. As I got to the end, an officer on foot stopped me. He shined his flashlight into my window and said, “This is the Davis County Sheriff’s Department doing a routine alcohol check. Have you had any alcohol tonight?” Me, “No!” Officer, “Do you have any alcohol in this car?” Me, “No!” He then flashed his light around in my car taking a glimpse. Him, “Where are you heading?” (So much for “reasonable suspicion” being a requirement to stop someone while in their car to ask questions that are usually no one’s business) Me, “I’m going to Walmart.” Him, “What are you buying at Walmart?” Me, “Soap.” Then he let me go past.
Anyway, I thought the whole reason for the Fourth Amendment was during the Colonial Times, the English had search warrants and court orders, but they were “generalized search warrants”, rather than specific and based on probable cause/reasonable suspicion? After getting back home from Walmart, since the wiretapping laws for Utah say it’s only a “one party consent” state (you don’t need both party’s consent but just one, me in this case), I grabbed something one can record conversations with because I wanted to go through this police checkpoint again and post the officer’s conversation online. I also grabbed my digital camera, so that I could rest it in a particular spot inside my car and video record in HD the conversation, to maybe send to the local news stations and post on YouTube. However, by the the time I got back over there, the Sheriff’s Department was already gone! Bummer!
My question is if there would be any legal issues with this, or was what I was planning on doing completely legal? I mean, since I was planted on a public road I guess video recording from there would be legal? Since the officer wouldn’t have been aware of me recording him, it’s not like he could say that’s obstruction of justice nor harassment when trying to do his job?
Best answer:
Answer by The Inquisitive Oni
As far as I’m aware if you are in a public place then you have the right to video tape especially if its a police officer since he is a public servant, the same way he has to identify himself to you and give you his badge number if you ask for it.
平和
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