Followup: Motorcyclist wins taping case against Maryland state police (w/video)

AutoBlog ^ | September 28, 2010 | Jeremy Korzeniewski

[decimon]

Score one for the good guys. Not that we think police in general are bad guys or anything, but after watching this video of a Maryland state trooper jumping out of his unmarked car in plain clothes while brandishing a gun, we're not exactly keen to put him in the good guy category, either.

In any case, Anthony Graber, a man who was out shooting video of his (not exactly completely legal) motorcycling exploits when he was confronted by the aforementioned officer, was charged with felony wiretapping for recording the state trooper's actions when being pulled over.

[Deagle]

Heh... That works for me!

[Viking2002]

I dunno about this being cut-and-dried for several reasons. One, I agree with the judge: cops are public servants, not Judge Dredd. Their duty is to protect and serve, period. They shouldn't have any expectation to operate with impunity or without question as to their conduct on their part. They are us, but with a gun and a badge, and paid by us to carry such for a common reason. The cop also should have been brandishing that badge the second his foot came out his car door, not pulling out his manhood on a public thoroughfare. On the other hand, the cop had the sense to keep his barrel down, and holstered it quickly after a brief assessment of the situation, so one point for him. And you could tell he was keeping a lid on escalating it, from the look on his face. Plus, I've seen too many speed junkies on those Japanese crotch rockets blowing through traffic on the interstate, and I think to myself, 'Where in the hell are the state troopers? That guy is a menace!'. Hey, I don't do the speed limit, either. But 110 MPH in interstate traffic is begging for a Darwin Award nomination, and that can create some vehicular collateral damage along with it. I'd rather not get smushed by a swerving semi because Evel Knievel wants to see if he can peg his speedometer out at 200. I think fault can be found on both sides of the fence here, but it shined some daylight on which party has what rights in their conduct.

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away, for his name is Obama."

[driftdiver]

I blew it up with photoshop and I don’t see any flesh color on the trigger. The trigger is clearly visible if you zoom in.

[Navy Patriot]

What an idiot cop, and idiot superiors, and idiot prosecutor.

This merited a 911 call, tag number, and a court appearance to give evidence for the citing traffic officer that would have responded. No more.

[Paladin2]

That’s good anyway. Thnx.

[driftdiver]

So give the jerk on the bike a ticket for his driving, not try to create false crimes based on laws that dont exist.

[decimon]

So give the jerk on the bike a ticket for his driving, not try to create false crimes based on laws that dont exist.

Yeah, the conduct of the cop during the stop is one thing and the legality of the taping another. This particular story restricts itself to the legality of the taping.

Post #19 gives more info on the case and it ain't good.

[Viking2002]

I'm basing my assessment on the video only, the charges that were dropped, and nothing else. The guy on the moon scooter should have gotten a kick in the cojones, yes. But if the cops are/were trying to trump something up (and I realize, being that it's my home state of Maryland, so it's within the realm of possibility), then that's a whole other creel of trout.

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away, for his name is Obama."

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

After the initial stop, the guy ended up with a speeding ticket. It was after he posted the video on Youtube some time later that the cop took offense and got his friends to execute a warrant and arrest the guy for wiretapping.

[decimon]

This creel contains far more than cops. Apparently, some anonymous judge signed off on a search warrant for the biker’s domicile and the police did apparently seize his property. Maryland does apparently need some new lawmakers.

[Viking2002]

Then the cop and his cohorts stepped over the line after the biker was wallpapered for stepping over the line. I'm not saying the biker was as pure as new-fallen snow, but the cops got a dose of Badge Viagra and committed a, shall we say, Constitutional faux pas. It doesn't surprise me - I've encountered too many Maryland and DC cops who have been programmed to think their powers of law enforcement are an immutable endowment from the bureaucratic divinity. Given the human dregs they have to deal with, I can understand to a degree why the exercise them. I spent fifteen years in that cesspool and survived some post-apocalyptic situations that would make Escape From New York and Blade Runner look like a Disney movie of the week. Hell, I worked with and even (conceptually) supervised some in my prior incarnation. I have a little insight as to how things work there. There were times that my legal authority superseded theirs and it was incumbent upon me to exercise it. At various times, I carried a gun. I had a commission. I had a badge. I put people in jail. I got in the rolling fistfights. But it still doesn't excuse an out-of-control, Leftist power elite from leaving boot marks on the backs of everyone it encounters. If the cops crossed the line, they should be in the dock answering to it. It wouldn't be the first time some flatfoot got busted down to Average Human Being and had to live with the consequences.

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away, for his name is Obama."

[Orange1998]

Harris County Sheriff in Houston did the exact same to “The Ibarra brothers” videoing a neighbors raid. The brothers sued and won million. Then they found out the sheriff had “secret surveillance” on their home during the civil trial. Next stop federal court.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=6140600

HOUSTON (KTRK) — There are new developments in an exclusive investigation we first brought you Monday at 10pm — secret surveillance against two brothers who sued the Harris County Sheriff’s Department and won over a million dollars.

Now, we’ve learned a federal judge will be asked to investigate.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Department admits it put the Ibarra brothers under secret surveillance after the brothers filed a civil suit against the department.

Even after millions have already been paid, Harris County may find itself back in federal court. Last time, Erik and Sean Ibarra claimed sheriff’s deputies roughed them up because of a videotape. This time, it might be because they were secretly watched.

[Viking2002]

See post 31. I ain't arguing with that point of view. The whole state is schizoid thanks to its proximity to Washington. And it's a damn shame that so many good people I know are rendered irrelevant by that malignant strip of cancer that runs about 25 miles wide up each side of I-95. Beautiful state. On one end, you have some of the most dense, beautiful fall foliage in the country nestled 3,000 feet into the mountains, and an Appalachian heritage to go with it. Six hours the other way, you have the best mid-Atlantic beaches there are. Both populated by fantastic people. Farmers. Genuine artisans. Crabbers and oystermen. Natives whose families have been there for generations. In the middle, you have an urban cesspool of carpetbaggers, freeloaders, parasites, opportunists, and predators. It makes me SICK. Maryland is like the good-hearted but sickly kid who is constantly fed on by vultures from every point on the compass.

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away, for his name is Obama."

[Wiggins]

Hey how are you doing? Good to hear from you. How’s the family?

[Doogle]

Fife would have shot himself in the ankle before getting out of the car

[magslinger]

Maybe his bullet was safely in his shirt pocket.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Not too bad Wiggins; family is fine.

Could you please rate this trooper's performance?

[Forgotten Amendments]

And Pinellas county might have become a better place.

From reading horror stories like yours over & over, it seems like you live in the epicenter of haywire police.

[the invisib1e hand]

Nah, the NYC police are about as cool as they come. They have to be.

pinellas sheriffs? Absolute lunatics.

[Forgotten Amendments]

I meant Pinellas. That whole Tampa Bay area seems to have story after story ...