BackInTheGame78
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Keep reading stories about how women are confronting men and "making them" delete photos they take in public of them, etc. Being creepy, suspicious or offending is NOT ILLEGAL. Telling someone they "have to" delete a photo they took because you don't like it and then starting to try and take their phone and do it is considered assault and THEY are the ones who would be doing something illegal.
www.newsweek.com
Firstly they should take a law course because there is NOTHING illegal about photographing or video taping someone in public. It is protected under the constitution and courts have many times upheld there is no expectation of privacy in public, and in most cases, public places like gyms, bars or restaurants, malls, etc unless it is prohibited by them.
They call the police, throw hissy fits, etc because they don't "like" something or become offended by it but the police are not here to enforce their feelings, their morality, or their beliefs, they are there to enforce the LAW. And the law is quite clear. If you can see it from a public location, you can photograph or videotape it. Now audio recording is actually a little trickier because it could fall under eavesdropping statues and it MIGHT actually be illegal...which is ridiculous considering that if you are videotaping you will have audio as well. Clearly these statutes have not been updated to deal with technology advances.
Sometimes I feel like I just want to go out and start doing things like this so I can educate these idiots on how the law actually works. Sadly, many times the police need educating on how the law actually works as well if you ever have watched any first amendment audit videos on YouTube and see how they behave.
Additionally, unless you live in a Stop and ID state, you NEVER have to comply with a police officer randomly stopping you and asking for your ID. Same if you are a passenger in a car that is stopped for a traffic violation. They have no legal right to ask for ID for a passenger. They can ask but you can refuse. They have no legal right to see your ID unless they have reasonable articulable suspicion(aka RAS) that you have committed, are in the process of committing or are about to commit a crime.
So if you are ever in a situation where a cop stops you randomly and asks for your ID for no reason, tell them NO. Police rely on people not knowing their rights under the law so they can infringe upon them.
Other common things police routinely try to do that they have no legal right to do and you can refuse:
- search your vehicle(unless they see something in plain sight that warrants a search like open containers of alcohol or drugs)
- enter your house without a warrant(unless they feel someone is in danger)
- search your person without cause(Terry v Ohio ruling allows them to pat down for weapons tho)
- demand you follow an unlawful order, which simply means an order you are not legally obligated to follow
- force you to answer ANY questions or threaten to arrest you for hindering or obstructing their investigation by not doing so. You are under no legal obligation to answer anything they ask other than very basic things OR help with their investigation of you. Obstruction of justice in almost every state requires someone doing something physically OR willfully lying to the police.
However you MUST tell them you are invoking your right to remain silent verbally to be sure you are protected. Simply remaining silent could in some cases be seen as an admission of guilt in some states.
- acting suspicious and illegally detaining you. Suspicious behavior is not a felony or a misdemeanor and therefore is NOT ILLEGAL. Unless they can tell you what crime they suspect you of committing they have no right to detain you for longer than a reasonable amount of time to complete their investigation, which again you are under no obligation to help with.
- giving them your ID so they can 'check' to see if you have any warrants. Unless you have committed a crime or some sort of traffic violation they have no legal basis for obtaining your ID.

Woman Confronts 'Disgusting' Men Taking Pictures of Young Beachgoers
A woman posted a video of herself to social media shaming two grown men for photographing women on the beach without their consent.

Firstly they should take a law course because there is NOTHING illegal about photographing or video taping someone in public. It is protected under the constitution and courts have many times upheld there is no expectation of privacy in public, and in most cases, public places like gyms, bars or restaurants, malls, etc unless it is prohibited by them.
They call the police, throw hissy fits, etc because they don't "like" something or become offended by it but the police are not here to enforce their feelings, their morality, or their beliefs, they are there to enforce the LAW. And the law is quite clear. If you can see it from a public location, you can photograph or videotape it. Now audio recording is actually a little trickier because it could fall under eavesdropping statues and it MIGHT actually be illegal...which is ridiculous considering that if you are videotaping you will have audio as well. Clearly these statutes have not been updated to deal with technology advances.
Sometimes I feel like I just want to go out and start doing things like this so I can educate these idiots on how the law actually works. Sadly, many times the police need educating on how the law actually works as well if you ever have watched any first amendment audit videos on YouTube and see how they behave.
Additionally, unless you live in a Stop and ID state, you NEVER have to comply with a police officer randomly stopping you and asking for your ID. Same if you are a passenger in a car that is stopped for a traffic violation. They have no legal right to ask for ID for a passenger. They can ask but you can refuse. They have no legal right to see your ID unless they have reasonable articulable suspicion(aka RAS) that you have committed, are in the process of committing or are about to commit a crime.
So if you are ever in a situation where a cop stops you randomly and asks for your ID for no reason, tell them NO. Police rely on people not knowing their rights under the law so they can infringe upon them.
Other common things police routinely try to do that they have no legal right to do and you can refuse:
- search your vehicle(unless they see something in plain sight that warrants a search like open containers of alcohol or drugs)
- enter your house without a warrant(unless they feel someone is in danger)
- search your person without cause(Terry v Ohio ruling allows them to pat down for weapons tho)
- demand you follow an unlawful order, which simply means an order you are not legally obligated to follow
- force you to answer ANY questions or threaten to arrest you for hindering or obstructing their investigation by not doing so. You are under no legal obligation to answer anything they ask other than very basic things OR help with their investigation of you. Obstruction of justice in almost every state requires someone doing something physically OR willfully lying to the police.
However you MUST tell them you are invoking your right to remain silent verbally to be sure you are protected. Simply remaining silent could in some cases be seen as an admission of guilt in some states.
- acting suspicious and illegally detaining you. Suspicious behavior is not a felony or a misdemeanor and therefore is NOT ILLEGAL. Unless they can tell you what crime they suspect you of committing they have no right to detain you for longer than a reasonable amount of time to complete their investigation, which again you are under no obligation to help with.
- giving them your ID so they can 'check' to see if you have any warrants. Unless you have committed a crime or some sort of traffic violation they have no legal basis for obtaining your ID.
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