This guy needs a track day...
- Thread starter GirlMotorhead
- Start date
peanuthead
New Member
nothing but a punk with a badge.
rk97
Member
I hope you don't honestly believe that.
Every time an idiot on a bike rips a wheelie down the highway in shorts and sans helmet, I'm sure people think "status quo for sportbike riders these days." A generalization about cops is at least as presumptive.
I'm not defending this particular officer's conduct, but one idiot doesn't make them all idiots.
I was under the impression that recording in a public place (on the street) was legal. The camera was already running when he was stopped, and the recording of the cop was incidental to the rest of the recording. I doubt the cop would have tolerated a "wait a sec, officer, I'm recording, is that OK?" from the biker.
The DA is overreaching. However, the guy probably should not have posted the vid to youtube, but instead given it to his lawyer.
Anyone in the SE region want to invite him to a trackday?
The DA is overreaching. However, the guy probably should not have posted the vid to youtube, but instead given it to his lawyer.
Anyone in the SE region want to invite him to a trackday?
rk97
Member
^ I think a jury is probably going to see it your way, but yeah, posting it on YouTube was a dumb move. The DA would take a ton of heat from the cops if he didn't go after someone who made them look bad though.
the same story was posted on the WERA board, and there were links to pictures of the guy's camera setup - it's a GoPro mounted directly on top of his helmet. there's no way the officer can claim he wasn't aware of the possibility that he was being recorded.
the same story was posted on the WERA board, and there were links to pictures of the guy's camera setup - it's a GoPro mounted directly on top of his helmet. there's no way the officer can claim he wasn't aware of the possibility that he was being recorded.
tomseviltwin
Control Rider
If anybody wants to know how this story turned out, here's some updates:
http://carlosmiller.com/2010/04/16/maryland-motorcyclist-spends-26-hours-in-jail-on-wiretapping-charge-for-filming-cop-with-gun
...just a effed up situation all around. Thank goodness for the TRACK.
http://carlosmiller.com/2010/04/16/maryland-motorcyclist-spends-26-hours-in-jail-on-wiretapping-charge-for-filming-cop-with-gun
...just a effed up situation all around. Thank goodness for the TRACK.
rk97
Member
so let's recap:
- suspect admits to speeding, and doing a wheelie. he was wrong.
- plain-clothed officer pulls gun on guy w/o identifying himself as police. he was wrong.
- suspect posts video on youtube. he may not have been 'wrong,' but that was stupid.
- officer files wire-tapping charges and gets search warrant in retaliation for suspect publicizing his first mistake. he was wrong.
- judge throws case out of court. Finally, someone did something right.
I'd like to hear the 'behind the scenes' process for that search warrant and the wire tapping charges. Like I said before, the DA has to play nice with the cops for his own professional sanity, but I think he compromised his integrity a bit here. There's a bit of balancing act between supporting an officer and pissing off a judge by wasting the court's time - and judges have a VERY high opinion of what the court's time is worth.
- suspect admits to speeding, and doing a wheelie. he was wrong.
- plain-clothed officer pulls gun on guy w/o identifying himself as police. he was wrong.
- suspect posts video on youtube. he may not have been 'wrong,' but that was stupid.
- officer files wire-tapping charges and gets search warrant in retaliation for suspect publicizing his first mistake. he was wrong.
- judge throws case out of court. Finally, someone did something right.
I'd like to hear the 'behind the scenes' process for that search warrant and the wire tapping charges. Like I said before, the DA has to play nice with the cops for his own professional sanity, but I think he compromised his integrity a bit here. There's a bit of balancing act between supporting an officer and pissing off a judge by wasting the court's time - and judges have a VERY high opinion of what the court's time is worth.
sooperman12
New Member
Welcome to the pain I deal with EVERYDAY living in Maryland and riding a sport bike. No doubt, this guy was speeding and that wrong. And the only excuse I have the cop is that this kind of crap happens all the time with dudes running away from cops and doing stupid stuff on the streets of the DC Metro Area. On the other hand, MD State Troopers (and basically all county cops) have become so vigilant that this kind of erratic behavior is common. It's the norm, not the exception. The exception is if a cop actually has a modicum of sense. But yeah, this is ALL THE TIME in Maryland. ALL THE FREAKIN' TIME. For me, I've basically limited my street riding to commuting to work because the traffic basically is a signal to cops that there is no wrong doing. And since traffic is the suck in this area, you really can't go all that fast. But yeah... jerk-off cops all over this place. It actually makes riding unenjoyable.
