re: Win for the good guys: 5th Circuit (US) creates "right to film" LEO

there is a parking lot for a church behind my house and it's a honey hole for LEO to lay low

crime is not a major concern for me atm

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and it's kind of scary b/c they've hired a lot of former military vets who have severe psychological trauma from our lil wars since 2001

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Thats what worries me. I don't want to throw every cop under the bus, but in some instances, it can be argued that it's the officer that escalates the situation. It's dangerous for everyone if you are interacting with an officer that is highly on edge and isn't able to deal with the stress of the job. When you're on edge, you're not always thinking clearly and it's easy to overreact to situations.

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Dumb question, but is there any type of mental evaluation police officers go through to determine temperament and their ability to handle stress?

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My current agency does, but I am willing to bet we are in the minority.

The bigger issue is the admin types that have very limited legal knowledge. Mercy unto the underling officer that voices concerns about such things. However, things are a changing on that front too: Livermore v. City of Petersburg Article

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Though in this case, it looks it it was the Lt. that let him go.

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He is likely a Lt. by merit. That is not always the case. (See the actual case in the link I posted above. Officers were disciplined because they voices concerns about promotions.)

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many cops are not only fricking idiots, but also fricking assholes

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I agree. But look at the bullshite they have to endure...every move they make is under extreme scrutiny and with the advent of cell phone cameras, every time they make contact with a perp, they're being filmed.

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with the advent of cell phone cameras, every time they make contact with a perp, they're being filmed.

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And?

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But look at the bullshite they have to endure...every move they make is under extreme scrutiny and with the advent of cell phone cameras, every time they make contact with a perp, they're being filmed.

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I hope you're not saying that we shouldn't be watching public employees spend our tax dollars.

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I hope you're not saying that we shouldn't be watching public employees spend our tax dollars.

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Yesterday there was a thread about filming professors, and the public's right to it.

I'm curious to see if the same people who don't think LEOs can be filmed, feel the same about the professors.

I personally believe both can be filmed, but it is even more important in the case of LEOs since they are afforded considerable power AND their purpose is to enforce the law and protect the very rights the laws provide, including this right to film.

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But what if he videoed someone without the consent, like a random civilian going into the facility?

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You can't gain access to some areas and film, such as a court room, inside a military base, etc.

There are little to no regulations with filming from a public area even if it's a federal, state or local government building. It's a violation of first amendment rights.

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But what if he videoed someone without the consent, like a random civilian going into the facility?

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Those people have no expectation of privacy in a public space, is not against the law to only film anyone. How you use it could be illegal.

The Supreme Court has ruled numerous times that recording in public is legal.

Has to to do with reasonable expectations of privacy in public places.