Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Woman charged with wiretapping for filming cops wins $57,000 payout
As long as you don't interfere with them doing their job it should be legal. Videotaping would
help keep everyone in line.
A local New Hampshire police department agreed Thursday to pay a woman who was arrested and charged with wiretapping $57,000 to settle her civil rights lawsuit. The deal comes a week after a federal appeals court ruled that the public has a "First Amendment" right to film cops.
The plaintiff in the case, Carla Gericke, was arrested on wiretapping allegations in 2010 for filming her friend being pulled over by the Weare Police Department during a late-night traffic stop. Although Gericke was never brought to trial, she sued, alleging that her arrest constituted retaliatory prosecution in breach of her constitutional rights. The department, without admitting wrongdoing, settled Thursday in a move that the woman's attorney speculated would deter future police "retaliation."
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That's an expensive little slap on the wrist...
ReplyDeleteTHing is, it is the TAXPAYERS who are paying.
ReplyDeleteAre the cops who arrested her punished? Do they ahve to pay, or do hail time or lose their job? Are they in any way disincentivised from doing this again?
Until the cops have to feel the pain, they won't ever have any reason not to be assholes or bullies.
Correct.
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