Originally Posted by
KraneXL
Cops can be bullies, and they violate the law all the time. I recall the video of the women who was arrested for recording an arrest from her front lawn. Those cops not only violated her constitutional rights to record outside, but trespassing onto her property to do so.
This.
There is the law that gets upheld if you have the funds to fight for years through layers of appeals court, and there is the financial burden you get hit with when you get arrested and have to spend the weekend in jail, lose your camera;, have to hire a lawyer, lose the first case, hire another lawyer, appeal, etc.
"Cops usually get in trouble" usually means a reprimand ... or sometimes a fine, or settlement, which is of course paid by the taxpayers, not any cops.
This is the same issue we see where cyclists occasionally get ticketed for taking the lane because judges don't know the law and the cyclists cannot afford to appeal. And if a case goes to the jury .... well, juries are generally the twelve dimmest, most easily confused people thee two attorneys can pick out of the pool. Good luck explaining the finer points of law to people who cannot understand the issues discussed on "Jerry Springer."