Man charged after videotaping police
Friday, 30 June 2006 | 162 readers so far
Since when is it illegal to videotape activity that takes place on your own property? Hmm?
Michael Gannon, 49, of 26 Morgan St., was arrested Tuesday night, after he brought a video to the police station to try to file a complaint against Detective Andrew Karlis, according to Gannon’s wife, Janet Gannon, and police reports filed in Nashua District Court.
Police instead arrested Gannon, charging him with two felony counts of violating state eavesdropping and wiretap law by using an electronic device to record Karlis without the detective’s consent.
This is going to turn into a massive black eye for the Nashua police. New Hampshire is supposed to be one of freest places left to live in the United States. It is the home of the Free State Project. I’m sure this story will have members in an uproar.
1 July 2nd, 2006 at 3:40 pm
Dale says:
I think the law does not discriminate where the surveillance takes place. Just that it cannot be done without the knowledge of all people involved. These surveillance laws vary dramatically from state to state. I would be interested in reading an overall reveiw of which states have which laws. In some states, the law prohibits audio recording but no laws about video.
Security cameras appear to be okay for businesses but if you personally walk around videoing everything you see, you will be challlenged.
2 July 2nd, 2006 at 3:54 pm
Trevor says:
It’s an absolutely alien concept to me that the law would be arrogant enough to tell me I cannot make recordings of people on my private property.
With or without their consent. Especially for security purposes.
Should I have to get a model release signed every time a burglar breaks into my house before I can take the tape to the police?
It would be a very different matter if this man was mounting video cameras in the roof of his home’s bathroom and then inviting female neighbors over to make videotape of them showering or something. But that isn’t what happened here, from what the story says.
I don’t think you have an expectation of privacy when you are in public or on someone else’s property. You certainly don’t have an expectation of privacy if you are police officer performing your duties.
3 July 3rd, 2006 at 1:09 am
SK says:
Trevor I agree with you, but I think this might be an example of good intentions run amok. Many laws have been passed in different states to protect the kind of video taping you mention, ie privacy issues. Many women were told there were no laws on the books to help them, when finding out they had been secretly taped. Many of the newer laws were quickly written, are loosely worded and ambiguous. Later to be used for some stupid assed reason (IMO).
4 July 3rd, 2006 at 12:02 pm
Trevor says:
Sherri,
They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
5 July 4th, 2006 at 1:28 am
SK says:
Definitely!;)