42-year-old Michael Allison of Illinois could spend the rest of his life in prison for recording police in public. He faces five counts of eavesdropping, a class one felony. Of course, the police are allowed to video people in public with impunity.
The Illinois Assistant Attorney General has joined the case and told the judge that citizens do not have the constitutional right to record police.
Man, nothing I hate more than an asshole prosecutor:
Illinois Man Faces 75 Years In Prison For Recording Cops
See also: Federal Court: recording cops an unambiguous first amendment right
Just plain crazy
So the Fascists actually did win World War II?
1st Circuit rules videotaping police is protected speech
The National Law Journal
August 30, 2011
Videotaping police in the course of their duties is “unambiguously” a free speech right protected under the First Amendment, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit held in a recent decision.
The appeals court, in an opinion released Aug. 26, rejected the argument that police officers who arrested such videographers should be granted immunity against litigation.
The underlying case involves a Massachusetts lawyer, Simon Glik, who sued the city of Boston and three local police officers alleging violations of his First and Fourth Amendment rights after he was arrested for filming police activity with his cellphone.