Posted on 03/13/2015 4:29:19 PM PDT by Rusty0604
Texas State Representative Jason Villalba (R-Texas) has found himself at the center of controversy after filing a bill that would make it a crime for bloggers and independent journalists — as well as regular citizens — to film police officers. Despite the backlash from free speech advocates, Villalba is insisting that his bill “does not infringe on constitutional rights” or “limit liberty in any way.”
Villalba’s bill would also make it illegal for private citizens to record their own interactions with police officers. In fact, the language is so broad, in prohibiting “documenting” the police officer’s activities, that taking notes during a conversation with an officer, about what was being said, the officer’s badge number, etc., could be construed as a violation.
Villalba himself took to Twitter to defend the bill, with a tweet around 6 p.m. Central Time that insisted that his bill would not stop citizens from holding police accountable or prohibit filming.
Villalba then continued tweeting late through the night, until about 4 a.m., defiantly defending his bill and daring anyone who disagreed with him to “find me an opponent” and vote him out of office.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
"The bill, HB 2918, adds to the definition of what constitutes “interfering” with an officer’s duties, and would make it a Class B Misdemeanor to film, record, photograph, or document the officer within 25 feet while that officer is performing his official duties. That distance is extended to 100 feet if the person is carrying a concealed handgun. There is an exception for news media"
Who will be allowed these special privileges and rights? Politicians, hollywood elites, community activists, race pimps. Will Hillary be exempt from her picture being taken? What about James O’Keefe videos? Those ‘poor’ people he exposed - should they get exemptions and special rights and James get imprisoned for multiple felonies? This won’t be about filming police, it will be about elites having special rights.
I'm sure that we can count on the police to come forward with the evidence that they have collected to show that they acted illegally and without regard to the Constitutional Rights of the citizens.
“We do not order society and liberties around what is best for government and the cops.”
That’s it. Right on.
I didn’t say I was against filming. I said I was against not filming everything. How many times have we seen partial clips meant to inflame? You get someone on PCP and all we see is that 5 cops are on him and we have another Rodney King or Michael Brown.
I didn’t think they were brazen enough to criminalize bloggers yet.
Embarrasing that this bonehead has an R after his name.
Good idea! Clearly the presence of video documentation hinders our police in their sworn duty to shoot dogs and tase sick, handicapped, or elderly people.../s
Hidden cameras.
Some departments have realized that 1st to last coverage is better, so they have mandated that.
But fools gonna be fools, and chop off what they don't want you to see. Get used to it. Perfection isn't an option in a democratically elected republic.
We can stop outlawing legal behavior though.
/johnny
I guess he was on Twitter defending himself until 4am, keep him on email tonight. Maybe he’ll resign.
You don’t read very well do you?
I said it was a questionable practice... did you read any further than that?
Obviously not.
Filming should never be outlawed but we should also be careful what we accept as complete. It is a double-edged sword.
Some police are wearing body cameras for that reason, for their own protection. But all that doesn’t take away citizen’s rights.
My vehicle has cameras mounted in various hidden locations and records at all times. A quick button press and the video is streaming. Am I breaking the law when I’m recording the traffic stop? Or passing by a traffic stop?
/johnny
Check him out and you will find that he represents Dallas county ... so probably just a Progressive masquerading as a Republican to get elected.
Glad they only meet every other year.
No. That’s a non sequitur. You have an expectation of privacy for what is in your car unless they rightly have reasonable suspicion or probable cause to search a citizen’s car. And if not, they must obtain a search warrant.
When police are conducting their duties out in the open public, they have no expectation of privacy.
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