Gunner75 Posted October 5, 2012 Report Share Posted October 5, 2012 (edited) So i am sitting here watching videos on youtube of bikers recording cops when they get stopped. Its always with an action camera, and the cops 9 times out of 10 want the recording to stop. They usually site the state wiretapping laws as to why they shouldnt be recorded. Now I am curious as to whats the interpretation of the law in ohio. Is it legal, illegal, what? The reason why i ask is well the way our laws are written make no damn sense. ORC2933.52, Sec. B-4 states recording is legal as long as one party consents to the surveillance and does not intend to use the footage to commit a criminal offense or other injurious act.Does this mean that if im pulled over in my personal vehicle and i have my camera with me i can use it to record the situation? Do i have to notify the cop that i am recording the situation with video and audio? Do i have to turn the camera off if he/she asks me to do so? If I am asked to stop recording and the cop decides to give me a hard time and arrest me base on the ORC, or the federal wiretapping laws do they have legal weight to do so? Im really not trying to be difficult but since i ride with my Contour Roam on my helmet with a secondary audio mic thats pretty sensitive this is something that i am curious of. One day I will probably get pulled over when the camera is running. Edited October 5, 2012 by Gunner75 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiefScooter Posted October 5, 2012 Report Share Posted October 5, 2012 Could the opposite be true, as well? If the police officer has a dash cam recording you, can you tell him/her that you don't consent to surveillance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Green Valley Posted October 5, 2012 Report Share Posted October 5, 2012 In Ohio you are within your right to record police activity. I have had a few phone cameras turned on me while doing my job and the only thing I tell the person recording is to keep their distance so as to not interfere. Depending on the situation you don't want to be a distraction or be thought of as a perceived threat. Stay back, use your zoom and record all you like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochet Posted October 6, 2012 Report Share Posted October 6, 2012 its legal.. you dont have to tell anyone you are recording. as law state sas long as one person knows.. if you know then you are good to go. and cop can name make you turn off camera. there is no valid reason for them to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHill Posted October 6, 2012 Report Share Posted October 6, 2012 Just use the same justification as cops and government officials use for surveillance cameras....upon entering a public space you forfeit your right to privacy and a camera is no different than a pair of eyes.Let us know how that goes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruit Posted October 6, 2012 Report Share Posted October 6, 2012 When I had a run-in with a road rager the responding officer asked me to turn my dashcam off. I did, not knowing what the law was (and needing him to be on my side).When I consulted with the prosecutor regarding the prosecution of the road rager (using my dashcam footage of the incident) he told me that the police cannot force me to stop recording unless the act of recording is interfering with official business. Examples he gave were recording while I was being arrested, patted down etc. Also, a bystander getting too close to the action while recording can interfere with official business if he gets close enough to the officer to become a distraction / make the officer concerned fir his own safety (is he gonna drop that camera and attack me if I let him too close) or for the safety of the person with the camera (if you enter into a crime scene, accident scene or other location where it is not safe for you to be)As long as you don't interfere or obstruct you can record in public as much as you want.Beware that an officer's interpretation of "interfere" may be more strict than yours, and getting belligerent may get you arrested and charged. You may beat the charge, but you won't beat the ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zx3vfr Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 Iirc wire taping laws do not fall into effect during a traffic stop 1. Because its in a public place 2. Cops are government employeesEven if wiretapping laws did cover this, in Ohio only one person needs to know they are being recorded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
216cityboy Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 Good thread. I saw a video recently where a guy was stopped & the cop didn't make him turn off his Contour. The rider asked for a copy from his dash cam & the cop told him the site to get it from. I still think it depends on the LEO & their mood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruit Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 I requested dashcam of the roadrager stop because it contained evidence the the road rager lied to the police - after the officer had me turn my dashcam off the conversation I had with him indicated the officer had been told the damage was done in a collision, not by an intentional door swing. I thought that would be useful evidence if the RR tried to refute my video.Filed the proper request, ignored. Filed again, ignored. File again, "Expired". I got the 911 tapes in a couple days in which he incriminated himself to the 911 operator so as it turned out attacking my video would have done no good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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