A Victory for Copwatch
In a 12-page decision, Criminal Courts Judge Stanley Sacks ruled that the law [which essential made the videotaping of police (Copwatching) illegal] is too broad and potentially criminalizes ‘wholly innocent conduct.’ He cited as an example a parent recording her child’s soccer game and inadvertently capturing a conversation between two bystanders. ‘Although it is extremely unlikely that this doting parent would be charged with a felony offense, the fact remains that she could, thusly punishing innocent conduct,’ Sacks wrote.”
This ruling comes just weeks before thousands are expected to descend into Chi-town to protest the G8 & NATO meetings in May. Such a large mobilization of protesters (like those expected in Chicago), is routinely met by even larger occupying po-lice forces, shipped in from pig units around the country, armed with new, hi-tech gear, and itching to use it.
It is no surprise then that these large mobilizations and mass protests are often (if not always) met with rampant police misconduct, abuse, harassment, and violence. Therefore, it is almost essential that these persons are able to demonstrate their own rights – like the right of freedom of speech cited by Judge Stanley Sacks – in videotaping this rampant police misconduct and abuse, to at the very least document these atrocities without being further accosted by the pigs.
Although there is still little clarity on the Eavesdropping Law, as there are a multitude of cases, appeals, and further amendments to the current law still being examined.
Originally, the Illinois Eavesdropping Act made it a felony to record police interactions, carrying a sentence of up to 15 
years in prison. Several cases since then have played out, and are continuing to play out in court, of which the decisions could have an enormous impact on the Eavesdropping Act. West Denver Copwatch has attempted to continually update our readers on those cases, but here’s an overview in case you missed it:
- In August, a woman was acquitted of eavesdropping charges, after she testified that she only recorded the pigs because they were trying to ‘convince’ her not to file sexual harassment charges.
- In September, Crawford County deemed the law unconstitutional, in a case in which a man was accused of recording a police interaction without permission. This case is being appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court.
- Finally, we are still waiting for a ruling from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on a lawsuit filed by the ACLU, arguing that the law violates First Amendment rights.
Furthermore, Representative Elaine Nekritz (D) is attempting to pass a bill that would make it legal to video tape pigs in public and on duty.
Even dumb-fucking Supt. Garry McCarthy says he doesn’t object to the law, because he encourages persons to film his little piglets, especially at summits like the G8/NATO, as it shows how the dumb-fuck piggies really treat the protesters! Hahahaha, ya that’s a great idea – have you not heard of the payouts pigs hand to protesters for abuse? Want to pay us millions and encourage copwatching, fine by me! Oh ya and go ahead and take a look at Miami – FTAA Settlement.
Of course the Fraternal Order of Pigs (KKK) is against repealing the act as it “would have a chilling effect on witnesses’ coming forward to aid police and could create situations in which victims of crime are re-victimized by viral videos of their suffering.”
Please mother fuckers, you’re rarely there to stop a crime, and people aren’t video taping a ‘crime’, they’re video taping you mother fuckers. You’re the ones with cameras EVERYWHERE (<- Click here to view a map of all pig cameras in Chi-Town [for those of you going a little later this month!]) to catch these victims, and then you give it to the evening news. You stupid mother fuckers, what a dumb excuse, just admit you wanna beat people without reprisal, without a video camera taping your constant abuse and harassment; and what’s a better platform to harass, abuse, and beat folk than the G8/NATO Summits. TRY IT MOTHER FUCKERS – SEE YOU IN CHICAGO…
Sources:
Chicago:
West Denver Copwatch 