Vitter spygate vs random public videos & recordings : both criminal acts?

He's the Sheriff. He makes the rules.

I thought I read yesterday where they released details about recordings they found on the spy's phone too. Assuming the spy didn't give authorization for the cops to look through the phone, I imagine that's not legal either.

It seems a bunch of rules are being broken by those that were "spied" on, including arresting the kid and digging through his phone, but I'm betting the benefit to their side outweighs any subsequent penalty.

I could be talking out of my arse, since I have no idea what the laws actually are, so there's that.

Either way, I feel that everyone involved are self serving scumbags and should be run out of office. Just paid my quarterlies and I love the thought that it would take every penny of that and more and flush it down the toilet on this type of shite.

I don't feel like doing the research on this, so take the following for what that says about it:

The specific statute can be found here.

Basically, it is against the law (felony) to record a private oral conversation unless you are part of that conversation. It is not illegal to film or photograph people who are in a public place. As I understand it, as long as the photographer is in a place that he is legally entitled to be, he may photography/film anything he can see with a few exceptions. The problem as it relates to the above statute, is the audio component.

A defense to recording the conversation of others, as I understand it, is to claim that the conversation was not private. So if you are talking out loud in a public place and someone happens to record that, it is not a violation of the law. On the other hand, a normal conversation in a booth or at a table in a restaurant may be private.

I'm a PI so maybe I can answer a few of these questions:

Recording video of someone in a public setting is perfectly legal. It's the audio that gets tricky. Per LA law, you cannot record someone's conversation that you are not party to...unless someone from that party gives permission.

What this kid from Texas got in trouble for was the audio and (most importantly) criminal trespass when he fled into a privately owned backyard.

David Vitter chose prostitutes over patriots. That's all you need to know

Cops are special, especially elected sheriffs.

Pretty much anything you do that upsets them can be illegal.