Man facing 16 years in prison for video taping police

[Today]

Source!

That Anthony Graber broke the law in early March is indisputable. He raced his Honda motorcycle down Interstate 95 in Maryland at 80 mph, popping a wheelie, roaring past cars and swerving across traffic lanes.


But it wasn't his daredevil stunt that has the 25-year-old staff sergeant for the Maryland Air National Guard facing the possibility of 16 years in prison. For that, he was issued a speeding ticket. It was the video that Graber posted on YouTube one week later -- taken with his helmet camera -- of a plainclothes state trooper cutting him off and drawing a gun during the traffic stop near Baltimore.

In early April, state police officers raided Graber's parents' home in Abingdon, Md. They confiscated his camera, computers and external hard drives. Graber was indicted for allegedly violating state wiretap laws by recording the trooper without his consent.

I feel really bad for him. 16 years in prison because he had a camera on his helmet while the police came up at him with a gun?

Video is in the source by the way!

 

[Airgemini]

That seems a little... extreme. And stupid.

 

[ETWIST51294]

i hate maryland police. Especially the ones in PG county. They known for extreme **** like this.

 

[Tacel]

Was the gun really necessary?

 

[QUIVO]

Gnes was in prison for five years and told me it was awful

 

[El Nino]

His military service might help him in court, if it goes to trial. He may not get the maximum sentence. Some people do less time than 16 years for violent offenses.

Stay out of prison, kids. It ain't good for ya.

 

[Black Mantis]

i hate maryland police. Especially the ones in PG county. They known for extreme **** like this.

PG police.................................................

 

[Mota]

That is utterly ridiculous. 16 years, really?! That's more then what drug dealers, manslaughter, whatever cases, I've seen get.

What exactly is the law regarding this? If a mother taping their kid at the park accidentally captures a cop will she go to prison too?

 

[ETWIST51294]

PG police.................................................

I grew up around them faggot mufukkas. Seriously tho, never talk **** to a PG cop. Especially when you in areas such as Riverdale, Kentland, Landover, Forest Creek, etc...

seriously guys, i hate them.

 

[freeman123]

This is a perfect example of police abusing their power. How is filming someone with a camera, in public, a form of wire taping? Give me a break...

 

[Wiscus]

That sentence is ridiculous, really 16 years? The American law system for you.
I wonder if he knew it was a cop, he was in plain clothes...I wonder if there is more to this.

 

[StealthyGunnar]

This is ridiculous. He is facing 16 years while the man who shot me may only face up to 10 years. Bull****.

 

[UberMario]

Absolutely bizarre, seriously how does the punishment come close to fitting the "crime"?

 

[Budget Player Cadet_]

Gotta love the US justice system.

 

[SkylerOcon]

Absolutely ridiculous. I'm betting that this will become the next big national drama.

 

[Jim Morrison]

Hahahahahahamerica!

 

[Praxis]

I don't get how wiretap laws apply; I thought those were for recording telecommunications? If they're really that vague, it's an incredibly stupid law relic of a past era. Now that everyone carries devices at all times capable of violating that law with an accidental button press...(aka almost every phone on the market...)

 

[cF=)]

I hope the ACLU is all over this.

It actually is!

 

[Lawlb0t]

The statutes are there to defend police brutality . So when the person notifies the police that they were just recorded beating the **** out of a person or executing a defenseless submissive civilian, they will confiscate your footage claiming it will need to be reviewed and used as state evidence and when you get your camera back the video is scrambled/damage/tape is gone.

Remember these are statutes/acts and not laws.

'it's an incredibly stupid law relic of a past era' its recent and reflects this era if you have been noticing that peoples right are getting stripped from them daily.

 

[victra♥]

this is something they would do in north korea :/

america can be so stupid.

 

[#HBC | Dark Horse]

this is something they would do in north korea :/

america can be so stupid.

I hate people like this, who take one event involving a couple of people and say it represents a whole country.

In North Korea, they would kill you for this.

 

[victra♥]

This is why i chose to phrase it the way i did. America can be so stupid.

I really want to know if theres more to this story.

 

[Shadic]

It should not be illegal to film police. It is a citizen's one true defense against false charges. In court, the voice of an officer holds more weight than that of an average citizen.

 

[Nik21]

only if he was a celebrity or an athlete then he wouldn't have to go to jail for more than 30 days.

 

[Teran]

Wow this is great, I've seen less given for **** and child molestation.

Very often.

 

[Shadic]

only if he was a celebrity or an athlete then he wouldn't have to go to jail for more than 30 days.

And it would get more media attention.

 

[Zajice]

America da bess.

 

[GreenKirby]

American: We should hold the government accountable for what they do!

*after this incident*

American: How DARE this guy film the police!

 

[♡ⓛⓞⓥⓔ♡]

Only in America?

 

[Shadic]

American: We should hold the government accountable for what they do!

*after this incident*

American: How DARE this guy film the police!

I think very few people are in the last quote there.

 

[Luigitoilet]

Only in America?

Not really, unfortunately.

 

[1048576]

So now cops get an expectation of privacy while in public?

How does that even work, like, logistically?

'And on the 10,000,000,000 day, God gave us nukes, because **** it we're starting over.'

 

[NixxxoN]

Not really, unfortunately.

where else?


This guy was an idiot for driving dangerously, and overtaking cars at the right side.
However, 16 years for tapping a cop is utterly ridiculous.
In Europe, they just make a pic of you and your vehicle and they send you the infraction at home