Gay police officer loses right to make First Amendment case after he was hounded out of the department

A gay police officer who alleged that St. Cloud Police Department refused to allow him his First Amendment rights to work in the Twin Cities Pride Festival even if he used his vacation time lost a bid in federal court on the First Amendment claim. The court did say there was sufficient evidence to pursue [...]

ACLU suing Los Angeles sheriff for limiting photography in public places

The American Civil Liberties Union is invoking the First Amendment in suing the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department for labeling photography in key public places as “suspicious activity.” In three separate incidents, sheriff deputies detained photographers, at a Los Angeles Metro, industrial buildings, and the Long Beach courthouse. -db From The Reporters Committee for Freedom of [...]

A&A: Police refuse request for incident report from peaceful protest

Q: In August 2010 myself and three others were passing out Christian prolife materials to clients approaching a Planned Parenthood (PP) clinic. The PP is located in a public commercial strip mall and shares a common parking lot with the other businesses. A private security official threatened us with arrest if we did not move [...]

A&A:I couldn’t video tape my own arrest, but a reality show was allowed

Q: Fish & Game “wardens” recently arrested me near a remote campground where I had been sitting in my car trying to sleep. My blood alcohol level was .11 and I was charged with a DUI. During the arrest, a reality TV show camera crew tagging along with the wardens filmed the whole event–including that [...]

Washington: Local police seek anonymous creator of cop parody videos

Renton, Washington police are seeking the identity of the creator of some videos critical of their department in what they describe as a cyberstalking investigation. Police are asking Google to reveal the name of the creator using the pseudonym “Mrfuddlesticks.” The videos contain profanity and sexual content and name members of the department. The affadavit [...]

Miami Beach revises policy on photos of on-duty police

The Miami Beach Police Department is allowing citizens and media on public grounds to take pictures or video images of police officers doing their jobs. According to Emily Peterson reporting for The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, “It [the new policy] says civilians may record or photograph a police employee’s activities as long [...]

Miami Beach police allegedly confiscate video of police shooting

After Miami Beach police shot and killed a suspect on a public street, they allegedly confiscated a video devise from a witness Narces Benoit and roughed up him and his girlfriend in the process. The police said Benoit was seized as a witness and denied that they stomped on his cellphone. Free press supporters say [...]

Federal appeals court affirms cursing police in Virginia could get you arrested

The 4th U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that a man could not contend that a law was unconsitutional and break the law with impunity. The court said that the man could only count on absolution if the law were “grossly and flagrantly unconstitutional.” The man called a police officer a “bitch,” and the officer  arrested [...]

Atlanta police agree not to stop citizens from videotaping officers on duty

Atlanta police agreed to allow citizens to videotape officers doing their job in public places so long as they do not interfere with the officers. The agreement settles a dispute between a group that films police to hold them accountable for questionable practices. In a recent incident, two Atlanta police stopped the group from filming, [...]

A&A: Can police remove lawn sign protesting police brutality?

Q: I have been retaliated against for complaining about a police officer beating and raping me. Many crimes were committed by cops in the cover-up, but I have been completely silenced. I put up a sign in my front yard and got an instant response by police. I need to know if they have any [...]

A&A: Can City Attorney Withhold 911 Call Transcripts?

Q: A county supervisor called 911 to report what he described as an assault with several punches thrown at him. The local police department investigated and determined witnesses saw no punches thrown. After some delay, the city attorney has released the police investigative documents. Thus far, they have refused to release transcripts of the phone [...]

Appeals court rules that police officers’ complaints not protected speech

In a split decision, a federal appeals court ruled that officers’ complaints about a superior’s conduct were not a public concern and therefore not protected speech. The dissenting judge said the officers had a right to voice their complaints since they addressed the performance, functioning and mismanagement of a public agency. -DB Metropolitan News-Enterprise July 14, [...]