Switch to ADA Accessible Website
Orlando Criminal Lawyer

Smartphones and Civil Rights: Recording Video of Police Officers

Earlier this month, a California police officer was placed on leave after a video appeared on YouTube showing the officer pulling a gun on a man who was recording him on his cellphone. According to Don McComas, the man who took the video, the officer had been driving around his neighborhood when the officer stopped by Mr. McComas’ home and began pointing at him. Mr. McComas became concerned and began filming the officer. The video shows the officer drawing his weapon as Mr. McComas backs away and explains that he is filming the encounter to protect himself from the police. The officer did not detain or arrest Mr. McComas.

Filming Police Officers

With the increase of attention on police misconduct and violence against the communities they serve, there has been increased attention on holding police accountable. Some cities and states, such as Washington, D.C., have implemented programs for police officers to wear body cameras while on duty in order to monitor their behavior and hold them accountable for any violations of protocol.

In addition to the increase in the use of body cameras, in many places citizens have taken up the charge of holding police accountable by filming them during interactions. There are even a number of applications for smartphones that are aimed at facilitating the filming of police officers and protecting those who take the videos.

Citizens’ Rights

Along with the increase in citizens filming police officers, particularly with the increased availability of video cameras as a function of smartphones, there has been an increase in police officers trying to stop citizens from filming. Some officers even go so far as to arrest those who film the police. On St. Patrick’s Day in 2014, a Miami-Dade police officer was making an arrest when Lazaro Estrada noticed the arrest from inside a nearby building and began filming on his smartphone. The officer motioned for Mr. Estrada to back away, which he did – further into the building. In response to those interactions, and to Mr. Estrada’s filming of the arrest, the officer charged Mr. Estrada for obstruction of justice and resisting arrest without violence.

According to Florida law, all parties to a private wire, electronic, or oral recording are required to give consent for the recording to be legal. However, there is an exception for in person recordings when the participants have no reasonable expectation of privacy, such as when the participants are in public. Therefore, when police are in public, the public generally has a right to record their actions. An article by the Washington Post noted that every court to consider the issue of a citizen’s right to film police officers has found that police officers that are on-duty and in public spaces have no expectation of privacy, and that filming police officers in those situations is protected under the First Amendment.

It’s also important to be aware that, as with Mr. Estrada, police officers who charge those who film the police may claim that the filming interfered with an arrest or investigation and was an obstruction of justice under Florida law. Citizens should be mindful if they decide to record police, and do their best to make it clear – on video – that they could not be construed as interfering with the officer.

If you or a loved one is concerned that your rights may have been violated, it’s important to have an experienced lawyer that can help you understand your protections under the law. Contact our Miami lawyers at The Baez Law Firm for a consultation today.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
Miami

Miami Office

1200 Brickell Avenue, Suite 1410
Miami, FL 33131
Office: 305-999-5100
Fax: 305-999-5111
Orlando

Orlando Office

250 N Orange Ave, Suite 750
Orlando, FL 32801
Office: 407-705-2626
Fax: 407-705-2625

Email Us

Fields Marked * Are required

DISCLAIMER: Completing and submitting this form or otherwise merely contacting The Baez Law Firm or any individual at the firm will not establish an attorney/client relationship. Our firm cannot represent you until we determine that there would be no conflict of interest and that we are otherwise able to accept representation of your case. Please do not send any information or documents until a formal attorney/client relationship has been established through an interview with an attorney and you have been given authorization in the form of an engagement letter with The Baez Law Firm. Any information or documents sent via this form or otherwise prior to your receipt of an engagement letter will not be treated as confidences, secrets, or protected information of any nature. Submitting information regarding your potential case will not bar The Baez Law Firm from representing or continuing to represent a person or entity whose interest are adverse to your in condition with your case.

protected by reCAPTCHA Privacy - Terms
Please review the highlighted fields. They are required.
DISCLAIMER: This website contains information about The Baez Law Firm that includes testimonial statements from persons who are familiar with the firm's services. The testimonials shown are not necessarily representative of every person's experience with us. Testimonials from every client are not provided. As no two situations or persons are identical, the facts and circumstances of your situation may differ from those for which testimonials are shown. This website also includes information about some of the past results that we have obtained for our clients. Not all results are provided, and the results shown are not necessarily representative of all results obtained by us. No two situation are exactly alike; every person's situation is unique and the outcome for each person depends on the individual facts.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
MileMark Media - Practice Growth Solutions

© 2015 - 2024 Baez Law Firm. All rights reserved.
This law firm website and legal marketing are managed by MileMark Media.

Contact Form Tab Contact Form Tab