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Just Who Are They Protecting?

July 21, 2010 by  

For recording this video with his helmet camera of an irate and possibly out-of-control State Trooper, 25-year-old Maryland Air National Guard staff sergeant Anthony Graber is facing 16 years in prison.

Graber was cut off in traffic and stopped by the gun-wielding plainclothes officer after speeding down Interstate 95 in Maryland on his motorcycle. He was, rightly, charged with speeding. But state police didn’t like the fact that Graber posted his video on YouTube.

So in April state police raided his parents’ home in Abingdon, Md., and confiscated his camera, computer and external hard drives. Then he was indicted on a charge of violating state wiretap laws by recording the trooper.

Many of us were raised with the idea that the police are there to protect us. But the proliferation of hand-held recording devices is proving true what petty criminals, blacks and other minorities have maintained for years: All too often those sworn to protect us are nothing more than abusive, power-mad thugs with the authority of the state behind their actions.

And since the state doesn’t like it when its officers are made to look bad, the state is now twisting the original intent of wiretap laws to make everyone carrying a cell phone into a possible criminal.

Miami journalist Carlos Miller, who runs the blog “Photography Is Not a Crime” told ABC News he has documented at least 10 such arrests since he started keeping track in 2007. Miller himself has been arrested twice. One case he won on appeal and the other was thrown out after the officer twice failed to appear in court.

So what we are learning is it is perfectly okay for police officers to record their encounters with suspects using dash cameras in their patrol cars and hidden cameras in their interrogation rooms, but if a citizen being accosted by police or witnessing police abuse records the incident the state will treat him like he’s John Dillinger.

So much for the idea of “To protect and serve.”

Filed Under: Freedom Watch, Hot Topics
Bob Livingston

is an ultra-conservative American who has been writing a newsletter since 1969. Bob has devoted much of his life to research and the quest for truth on a variety of subjects. Bob specializes in health issues such as nutritional supplements and alternatives to drugs, as well as issues of privacy (both personal and financial), asset protection and the preservation of freedom.

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  • GEORGE PAPINI

    BOTH SIDES OF THIS STORY ARE WRONG. THERE IS ONLY ONE PERSON TO BLAME FOR ALL THIS. I’M SURE YOU ALL KNOW WHO HE IS. OUR ILLEGAL IMMEGRANT LEADER.

    • JS in WA

      What does illegal immigration have to do with this specific situation; a speeding motorcyclist and a plain clothes police officer toting a gun?

  • Scott

    I have been ticketed at 5 over and have been ticketed at 18 over when I was actually under the speed limit. I still believe most cops are good guys but they are under a lot of pressure to produce tickets. I am tired of being bullied by the ones that are less than honest.

  • Amishman44

    I know a couple of guys who, if an officer gets out of a personal vehicle, draws a weapon, does not have any identifying markings (PD shirt, badge, etc.) and does not verbally ID himself, would find him/herself in a shootout very quickly.

    I did notice the Maryland State PD car behind the motorcycle with it’s lights flashing and an officer getting out of it, but that was after the alleged unmarked officer had gotten out of his car and drawn his weapon. We also don’t know how long this guy had been running from the police when he finally stopped.

    We had guy here in NE Indiana, a year or so back, who ran from the cops on his bike, reading speeds that exceeded the max speed in a cop car. If I remember correctly, he wiped out and someone thought it right to blame the police. Responsibility goes both ways.

  • Amishman44

    Cops…do a dirty job, but they need to be fair and honest when they do it. Just this past year, I was pulled over in a 45mph zone, and ticketed for going 60+mph and for running a red-light, neither of which was true. I was coming off of a stop light and was behind a semi which was not yet up to speed…along with 3 other cars, none of which were also pulled over. He didn’t say what I had done when he took my license and registration back to his vehicle, after which he returned with the ticket. IF he had radar to show 60+ in a 45 zone, I would like to know who he tagged and then kept for ticketing others.

    • William

      Amishman sounds like you might have been in virginia.

  • Jason

    This incident reminds me of a book I just recently purchased thats called Misery Injustice. It tells of rogue cops acting contrary to what normal police procedures would be and in fact lists some criminal activity of police, but it was written from some guy in Missouri, not Maryland.

    I am sure police wonder why they are not respected anymore, when they have officers like this on the force, and do not report him for admonishment, it gives the rest of them a bad name. The cop and the judge needs to be charged and convicted. The cop for unlawful and threatening display of a weapon, the judge for violating the 4th amendment right of the motorcyclists and his parents.

  • BDouglas

    The officer had his gun out of the holster under NO THREAT. That’s called “False presentment of Deadly Force” This is not a cop, it’s a jack booted thug. He belongs in jail, general population. Put him there to send a clear message WE are not going to put up with this shit!

    • Mark Are

      YEAH!!!! LOUDER!!!

  • Jon Hutcherson

    Generally speaking, Wiretap laws are based on a reasonable expectation of privacy. Phone conversations are generally considered private, while duties performed in the public eye are not. Thus, if the above listed acts are truly recorded (pun intended) then there is no way SSGT Graber will be going to jail and every chance that he can pursue a successful harassment suit in court.

  • Felnious Mopery

    One bad cop protected by other bad cops makes all cops look bad and earns the distrust rep because the victim NEVER KNOWS which he or she is getting.

    Because cops can have dash cams to record their actions, they PRIMA FACIE Consent to being recorded. When someone else recordes the consenting clown, the charges are a fraud.

    • Gary L. Thompson

      With due respect to jbird, I think everyone has totally missed the issue here. It is simply not true “And since the state doesn’t like it when its officers are made to look bad, the state is now twisting the original intent of wiretap laws to make everyone carrying a cell phone into a possible criminal.” The issue does not center around what is proper police procedure and the need to protect good cops on the job versus weeding out bad cops. (As much as all this is a proper concern).

      What I need to ask here is, HAS EVERYBODY FORGOTTEN ONE OF THE WOMEN THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON VICTIMIZED, WHO TAPED HER CONVERSATIONS WITH MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION? Considering that Bill’s crowd had the reputation of coverups and intimdiation, it was natural for her to want to protect herself, but for that understandable desire she was also threatened with prosecution under this same Maryland law.

      Granted, even if police have granted prima facie permission to be recorded by the presence of cameras in their cars (if there was any distorting editing by the soldier, the police could easily answer with their own video, that they instead resorted to the tactics they did is speaks volumes who should really be facing prison), what about such situations having nothing to do with police? With the destruction of the rules and standards governing civil society by so-called liberals, so that an alarming proportion of the population out there is looking to prey on their neighbors any way they can, are these so-called liberals going to further strip citizens of the single best weapon by which they can call their lying abusers to account? That seems to be the central intent of the Maryland law, to shield miscreants of all kind, particularly those in authority.

      The camera proved its potency in overthrowing tyrannical authority during the Civil Rights marches of the late ’50s and early ’60s. Now it seems the federal government (yes, we cannot ignore that the feds make a huge voting bloc in Maryland, and must have had a large hand in bringing the law about) seems determined to strip that tool from citizenery at large, and have it under the safe control of their own loyal lackeys in the left coast/right coast media.

  • Jason

    How is the motorcycle driver to know that the un-uniformed guy is in fact a cop. Furthermore, how is taping in public illegal. There are cameras all over a good portion of downtown in most large cities. What is the probable cause for the judge to sign a search warrant to (steal) this man’s personal property. That is a 4th amendment violation to the U.S. Constitution. Not that the current administration follow Constitutional guidelines unless it serves their purpose.

    I would have to say as a former infantry soldier, and a gun carrying motorcyclist, I would have probable waxed the guy for his unprofessional and irate attitude. Jumping out of a car in an irate manner and acting like a thug would most likely have got that Tyrant officer shot.. We do not need cops like that on the street.

    • Amishman44

      I concur with your statement regarding an non-uniformed office drawing his weapon (under no threat of bodily injury or death… wrongful display of a weapon or intimidation?) then getting shot by someone who feels threatened…but there was a cop car behind the motorcycle with it’s lights flashing and a cop getting out from behind the wheel. Under those circumstances, the non-uniformed cop should have stayed in his vehicle and remain the ‘surprise element’ in the situation, and not display his weapon unneedfully.

    • William

      exactly Jason,

    • Ivan Johnson

      The Bill of Rights does not apply to driving because of “implied consent laws” that state driving is a privilege and as such you give up Constitutional protections.

      The few bad cops use this to do anything they please. This is the law of the jungle.

      • Mark Are

        The Bill of Rights are there to tell the GOVERNMENT to leave those rights alone. OUR rights cannot be SOLD, TRADED, GIVEN away or taken away, even by force. You cannot give them up. They are UNALIENABLE rights from your creator from birth. PERIOD. I have the RIGHT TO LIFE, LIBERTY and PROPERTY. You cannot by “implied consent” or any other way take them from me.

        Unalienable Rights – Absolute Rights – Natural Rights

        The absolute rights of individuals may be resolved into the right of personal security, the right of personal liberty, and the right to acquire and enjoy property. These rights are declared to be natural, inherent, and unalienable. Atchison & N. R. Co. v. Baty, 6 Neb. 37, 40, 29 Am. Rep. 356.

        By the “absolute rights” of individuals is meant those which are so in their primary and strictest sense, such as would belong to their persons merely in a state of nature, and which every man is entitled to enjoy, whether out of society or in it. The rights of personal security, of personal liberty, and private property do not depend upon the Constitution for their existence. They existed before the Constitution was made, or the government was organized. These are what are termed the “absolute rights” of individuals, which belong to them independently of all government, and which all governments which derive their power from the consent of the governed were instituted to protect. People v. Berberrich (N. Y.) 20 Barb. 224, 229; McCartee v. Orphan Asylum Soc. (N. Y.) 9 Cow. 437, 511, 513, 18 Am. Dec. 516; People v. Toynbee (N. Y.) 2 Parker, Cr. R. 329, 369, 370 (quoting 1 Bl. Comm. 123).

        Chancellor Kent (2 Kent, Comm. 1) defines the “absolute rights” of individuals as the right of personal security, the right of personal liberty, and the right to acquire and enjoy property. These rights have been justly considered and frequently declared by the people of this country to be natural, inherent, and inalienable, and it may be stated as a legal axiom [A principle that is not disputed; a maxim] that since the great laboring masses of our country have little or no property but their labor, and the free right to employ it to their own best interests and advantage, it must be considered that the constitutional inhibition against all invasion of property without due process of law was as fully intended to embrace and protect that property as any of the accumulations it may have gained. In re Jacobs (N. Y.) 33 Hun, 374, 378.

        EXERCISE YOUR UNALIENABLE RIGHTS WITH RESPECT FOR OTHERS
        AND NEVER LET GOVERNMENT AGENTS DEPRIVE YOU OF THEM!

      • Larry

        Right on and well stated.

  • http://www.personalliberty.com/bob-livingston/just-who-are-they-protecting/ William G. Sandlin Jr.

    May I Quote Thomas Jefferson: “The Tree of Liberty, must be refreshed from time to time, by the blood of Patriots and Tyrants.”

    Speaking as a senior citizen, the time of refreshing approaches.

    • Mark Are

      I think it passed in 1984 with the murder of Gordon Kahl. It’s just that folks are slow about taking care of the problem. Just read the Declaration of Independence where it says: Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

      Apparently until their ox is gored it is still sufferable for them.

    • Brad

      William, I agree, Jefferson’s quote is one of my favorites but lately I feel if I repeat it too often I may be arrested for being a threat to government.

  • Dan Bowman

    So let me get this straight, this bad cop equals all cops being bad? Are you people for real? So I guess I can say that all of you are bad because Brian is? Use a little common sense people, the Cops in my area of the world are the nicest and most courteous cops I know. They spend a majority of their time proactively seeking community involvement, not hiding from it behind a badge and authority. But you people are comparing all cops to those who acted inappropriate. Talk about ego.

    • BDouglas

      No, this bad cop just got caught. Go find a tape of a good cop doing a good thing and post it. Personally, I’d like to see cops in my area be more like Andy of Mayberry, ( does that date me ) or sporting an Oath Keepers Pin. I’d back those guys up ALL DAY LONG.

      • Mark Are

        Me too. Those guys won’t be working much longer though because cops that use Gestapo tactics are preferred by their handlers. Second level PSYCHOPATHS.

      • Harold Olsen

        Are you aware that the Southern Poverty Law Group has labeled the Oathkeepers a hate group. They’ve also labeled them a militia group. The reason SPLG has labeled them a hate group is because of their stated goals. They want to prevent things like Ruby Ridge and Branch Davidian from happening in their jurisdictions and if necessary, arrest any FBI agents who enter their jurisdictions without invitation. But what SPLG considers the most hateful thing about Oathkeepers is their pledge to enforce and uphold the Constitution of the United States. In the same story, SPLG also labeled the Tea Party movement a hate group and a militia group. They consider the fact that Tea Partiers want lower taxes, smaller government, wanting our elected officials to remember they work for us and cutting wasteful spending to be hate speech. And, most of all, they consider wanting our elected officials to uphold and obey the Constitution of the United States to be the worst hate speech.

      • Claire

        Harold Olsen–I am aware of the Oathkeepers, and I do not consider them to be a hate group. I will have to check this out.

    • jbird

      I believe you miss the point of the story entirely. This is as much about the abuse of the system to try and conceal the actions of the bad cop by piling spurious charges onto the victim of the bad cop’s behavior. It happens a lot. I was once a reporter for a major daily newspaper and was investigating reports of a police chief with a drinking problem. He was found driving drunk on numerous occasions both within his own municipality and those surrounding his. The “good cops” that stopped him would just take him home and never charge him. Finally one of his own officers found him one night asleep in his vehicle which had been pulled off the road but the engine was still running. He got a cop from a neighboring town to assist and they charged him with DUI. He tried to beat the breathalyzer but still blew a .17. A friend of his, a police chief from a neighboring town, testified in court that they were together all night and the drunk chief had had only two beers. In other words, he perjured himself to help the drunk chief. The drunk chief’s mayor and other city officials testified on his behalf that he didn’t appear drunk. Of course, witnesses at the bar he and his chief friend attended that night told a different story about the amount of alcohol consumed, and there was the .17 on the breathalyzer. Thankfully, the jury saw through the lies. The drunk police chief lost his job. The one that committed perjury, as well as those that had enabled the drunk for years, still have theirs.

      Oh, by the way, while I was investigating the story–before the chief was charged–the chief heard about it and found me one day, put his hand on his gun and told me he was going to take care of me if I didn’t drop the story.

      There are a lot of dirty cops out there. Not a majority, I don’t think, but a lot.

      • dan of arizona

        j bird you sound familure where did you do your work the story also sounds familure

    • William

      Dan you must be reading a different post from the one I am reading. I haven’t seen where anyone is sugesting all cops are bad. but there certainly are more than enough of them. hell one bad cop in ten thousand is far too many, I am glad you live in such a wonderful area. I think for the most part we have good cops in my area.

    • Bruce

      Dan, No one is saying that all Police are bad, we all know there are good and bad in every thing.

  • Peg

    They raided his parents house….they should be thrown off the force!

  • Brian

    Just because there is good cops out there dont justify this behavior Pat. He might have not been going that fast who knows. I do carry a firarm and would have used it in that situation. Anyone who jumps out of a car with a pistol in plain clothes will not last long.

    • Al Sieber

      I agree with your statement. I always carry a firearm also. in Ariz. it’s your duty to protect another person if you believe that person is being threaten, so if you see some one jump out of a vehicle with a gun you would think that person was being robbed or something, cops need to follow the law too, no exceptions.

    • Harold Olsen

      Many of those “good” cops cover for the bad cops, you know, what they call in the movies the “blue wall of silence, which, in my opinion, make those “good” cops just as bad as they are.

  • jim

    Worst example of a traffic stop I have seen. Lousy presentation by the officer. Completetly incorrect weapon presentation and really, incredibly stupid use of deadly force (by drawing the weapon in the first place). These kinds of examples are jewels for police to learn why some of theirs get shot unnecessarily. God help this state officer to learn and live…and to learn whom they serve.

  • Pat

    Brian what a ridiculous statement. By far, the majority of cops are good guys and should be respected. My question is How fast was this guy going ? How was he riding his bike? Down here in Florida I have witnessed ” crouch rockets” going over 150mph and popping wheelies at over 100mph in “heavy traffic”. Let me tell you, these guys have NO repect for the rest of us travelling the highway. It should be “open season” on these clowns!!!

    • BDouglas

      Absolutely!

    • J.Michael

      The issue here is not what happened,it’s about the search and seizure. The cop overreacted,but then he just gave the guy a ticket,now he either pays it or fights it. But,whoa,now you got the cops busting down this guy’s parents door and confiscating his computer equipment and camera!?!?! Somebody has some ‘splainin’ to do. The cops and the judge who signed the warrant should be the ones going to jail.

    • Mark Are

      YEAH!!! LET’S JUST LINE THOSE SOBS UP AND GIVE THEM THE FIRING SQUAD! THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM! And then let’s see who else we can line up for the firing squad that HAS NOT DAMAGED ANYONE ELSE IN THEIR LIFE, LIBERTY OR PROPERTY…gooberment butt kissing idiots!

      • Larry

        Get to a “shrink” Mark…anger management! Quickly, Dude!

  • Wolf

    As a Harley driver, surprisingly, I have NEVER been stopped by any law enforcment Officer, but then I seldom violate the 5 to 8 miles over the speed limit grace window given to most drivers. What is so unbelievable , is the subsequent seize and search order, its the judge that signed that Order that should be facing 16 years… we are not living in some obscure dictatorship

    • William

      sadly wolf too many judges feel they are just that. and our elected people who are suposed to look out for our wellfare just let them gat away with it. and it’s going to get worse befor the top blows off,

    • Mark Are

      We aren’t?

  • Brian

    Jumping out of your car with a gun being in plain clothes is not an ideal thing to do in texas. I would have dumped five in his chest with my 1911 before he got that pistol raised. Who knows if I had a helmet on and that fast bike, I might have just left that punk on the side of the road floppin like a fish.

    • Charles Hunt

      I’m a retired Texas peace officer, and I agree. In fact, our department policy FORBIDS off-duty officers from making traffic stops, unless an obvious felony is taking place. As a retired cop, I understand the need to take care of something egregious, but if I was just tooling down the road and some yahoo cuts me off and starts yanking out a handgun, he’s gonna be lucky if he only goes to the ICU instead of the morgue. As far as crooked cops go, come on over here to Afghanistan, where I’m at at the moment. We’ve got it good in the States, most officers are honest, diligent, hard-working citizens.

      • possum

        I totally agree with you. We thank you and all of your comrades for your sacrifice.

      • Mark Are

        Why would I want to come over to Afghanistan? Isnt’ that someone elses country? It isn’t my country and I DON’T BELONG THERE unless I am invited. Were you invited? Or are you part of an invading military force that is trying to force some sort of system on the inhabitants? Making sure the poppies are growing so the CIA to send the heroin in and get that oil pipeline in for those oil companies? IN another words, aren’t you simply a paid MERCENARY doing the bidding of SOMEBODY that wants your services to do something they couldn’t do on their own? A glorified WELFARE RECIPIENT?

        Or are you providing a SERVICE that the private sector could do better at? Or a PRODUCT other than death?

      • Claire

        Mark Are–He is in Afghanistan because our government sent him. Would you be happier if he was a deserter? Get a grip.

      • RWK

        Mark,
        At first, I thought you were just mad at people and disliked cops. Now I know that you are simply an ignorant ass taking up space on this board. You are one of those phycos I don’t want to meet on the road or even in a restaurant.

      • Bruce

        Charles, Keep safe dude.

      • Claire

        Charles Hunt– Good post, thank you for your input and thank you for your service. God bless.

  • Brian

    This is why I dont give a s–t when I hear about a cop getting blown away.

    • jim

      Yup; and that is precisely why actions like this video reveal, are so dangerous to freedom. Someone soon will not be so acquiescent to that fascist cop and the unbadged, unmarked SOB will find himself lead poisened. They better wake up before the civil disobedience which results from this totalitarian activity kicks in.

    • flash

      Brian, your are an idiot!!

      • William

        FLASH. I AGREE,

      • Mark Are

        Why? Because he has no sympathy for PSYCHOPATHS?
        http://www.whale.to/b/barrett.html

      • George Halepis

        No, because not all cops are psychopaths.

      • Claire

        George Halepis–I have 3 members of my family that are in law enforcement. I will stand by them through thick and thin because they are honest, they are local, not in Chicago, thank God. Sure, there are rotten cops just like there are rotten politicians. Like someone above posted, it is a matter of weeding out the bad ones, somehow.

      • RWK

        Mark, no mater the# of “phyco” cops there might be out there, and I supose there are a few, you have to remember that there are a lot more “phycos” behind the wheel of a car or on the seat of a bike. I don’t recommend shooting any of them…………..just get them off of the road. Please!

    • possum

      Without police we would have anarchy. Some police may be bad but the vast majority are just trying to do their job. After 20 plus years as a deputy sheriff in NC I have seen both sides. Anyone who would love see to see any other person killed obsiously has not seen anyone killed or the terrible after effects. If you have no idea what you are saying say nothing. Think of seeing a persons head explode at 1000 yards with a hit from a 308 and then imagine how horrible death can be.

      • Mark Are
      • Bruce

        Possum, I agree with you 100% there are many very fine folks who are Police officers, I have friends who are Police and they will go out of their way to help you.

        And there are the corrupt ones too, they sully the good ones.
        Thats a dirty rotten shame. Even on a Macro level we have bad people in everything, on a Micro level its the same and on a National level its also the same deal. One bad apple can spoil the lot.

      • Brad

        Bruce, We should all remeber your words the next time our illustrious president or other politicians want to paint an entire industry as bad due to the actions of a few, then write thousands of pages of new legislation that just add to government.

      • Bruce

        Brad, You know I am amassed that I am still alive I mean growing up in the mid 1950′s – 60′s, We didn’t have car seats, bike helmets, rubber suits with spings in them, no seat belts, no protective tops on bottles, no special buggie with shocks and padded compartments.

        No we just tied ropes in trees and swang around like wild monkeys, running through the woods, playing war, and jumping out of trees, swiming in lakes with out funky blow up things on each limb.
        Our bikes were just a plain old bike that we rode down hills, and smashed it to trees and what ever.
        Then I spent years surfing all around the world, in shark infest waters, rode dirt bikes on trails that were unknown to any human with out GPS and cell phones.
        We didn’t have fire proof cloths, and we made camp fires and cooked marshmellows and we had a blast. Then came Nam and we sluged it out in nasty swamps with bugs and bullets.

        As I noted I have no issue with most Police and we do have to keep in mind they are just people like us, and there are good and bad.

        I guess what I am saying is we need far less laws, people need to start thinking more and acting like adults rather than spolied twits, a new law will not fix anything, nor will rubber pants.

    • George Halepis

      Typical liberal sentiment. Unfortunately, cops are required to come to their aid, too.

      • George Halepis

        The comment above was misplaced. It was in reply to Brian.

  • Bruce

    For anyone who has never been in Maryland before or driven I 95, this is very common, really far worse has happened over the years.
    Oh and this is not the only state that has acts like this going on daily. Try Louisiana on for some real fun as in on I 10 just pop it up 5 or 10 miles over the speed limit. You may quite well loose your car, plus get a nice big fat fine and to round it all off some jail time too! I got a speeding ticket for going 55 MPH in a 55 MPH zone. I had the CC set at 55 as I know just how crazy they are down there. The ticket was for going 80 MPH, I got to spend 24 hours in jail, and pay a fine of $8000.00 to the local judge so as to not have to spend anylonger in jail. I guess $8K was the daily special for that fat ass.
    Oh and after I told a few friends they did a 20/20 show on it back in the 1990′s so I am not the only one who has had issues with such BS.

    • Ivan Johnson

      I had the same thing happen to me in North Carolina back in the late 60s while on spring break.

      The Justice of the Peace set the fine at $60 and railed against “you Northern Hippies from Harvard who come down an rile up the “n**gras.”

    • Mark Are

      I guess they could have just caged me. I’d make sure I cost them way more than $8,000. You have GOT to be kidding!

      • Bruce

        Mark, No I am not kidding you at all, also the overall cost was far more than the $8K, based on the facts as I know them, here they are.

        I was stopped then cuffed, I was told I was speeding, I was seated in the police car, my car was then picked up by a local of whom what I found out was the impound guy. Cost of impound was to paid in cash only and that was $350.00 per day. I was held for 48 hours thus I was charged with three full days of impound or $1050.00.

        The local bank charged me a wire fee of $250.00 plus an transaction fee of $175.00 due to my getting cash, for a total of $425.00 paid to the bank.

        The judge was to be paid in cash only that was $8000.00, plus court cost of $675.00, plus the fees to do paper work of $1000.00.
        So the grand total for this was just a mear, $11,150.00.
        Now let me say its a dam good thing my car was to small for the fat azzsed judge, as he stated if it were a bigger car he would have taken it for my CRIME.
        He explained I was dam lucky I got off that easy, that is being a man with long hair and looks funny and that flashy car.
        Its a good thing I had the money as I would have gotten 190 days of road gang labor work if I didn’t.
        And just think I would have also lost my car. Why? Keep in mind that if I had to spend the 190 days on a chain gang doing road work for not speeding, the impound cost alone would have been $66,000.00 or more than my brand new fully loaded 1992 Supra by two and half times.

        And I can asure you that there are folks today sitting in jail there for little to nothing, and more than likly countless under ground or their bones in the near by swamp. I have never gone back through the state since 1992.

        Mark, you can take any case you wish to court, but when the facts are not stacked in your favor you would loose in place like that, so $11K would be like a drop in the bucket.
        For all I know I could have gotten Life in Prison for driving the speed limit.
        The people of the state allow this behavior and therefor I have nothing to do with the state or anyone in it.

      • independant thinker

        Sounds like Plaquamin Parrish. And yes I know that is probably spelled wrong.

  • s c

    Because Maryland is a part of psychotic progressivism, events like this will become more common. It points up the FACT that if an individual state protects criminals who wear a badge, then it’s a good time to move (or take your chances).
    So WHO was offended the most? Maryland? The whore media? The rogue cop? Was it YouTube’s competitors? Was it the retards in Washington who think they’re infallible AND above the law?
    Has Maryland never heard of the Constitution? Are the ‘protectors’ in Maryland protectors or criminals?
    When there’s no difference between a criminal and someone who wears a badge and totes a weapon, you’d damn well better read the handwriting on the wall.

    • Mark Are

      IN a land where JUSTICE is OUTLAWED…the JUST shall become OUTLAWS.

  • Vicki

    Hmmmmm….. That officer is looking for a darwin award. No badge, No uniform. Only the claim that he is a cop. And he pulls out a gun.

    Now as to wiretap I do not know the law there but most recording in public places can not be illegal as there is no expectation of privacy in a public place.

    • Bear

      No badge, no uniform? Ever heard of “plain clothsmen?” Many officers conduct daily operations dressed just like average John Doe. Wake up girl. You need to change the channel on your TV from reality Dancing with the Stars to reality CSI. Cops come in all sizes, shapes, colors and modes of dress. As for the Judge, he needs to be dealt with. If LE can use dash mounted cams to back up their cases, we should too. It’s true that not every officer is clean and of good character and if theyr are not, we need to weed them out.

      • JLC

        Bear — A police officer, when not in uniform, carries his badge and ID with him. In the event of a “hot stop,” he is required to identify himself as a police officer. Been there, done that.

      • Lee

        I was wondering the same thing. Upon studying the photo, I see the gun, but no identification on the officer. In fact, he looks more like a street hood than an officer of the law. Whose red motorcyle? Does it belong to the man who took the picture? Frankly, I got the impression from the article that the policeman was riding it. No, from the body language of the officer, something is very wrong—with him! Maybe he had a bad day, happens. An argument with his wife or girlfriend? Also happens. A word or two from the captain? Most likely. Anyway, the man is not at his best! Hope the guardsman wins his case, and the officer gets some help.

      • vicki

        The “plain clothed” officer did identify himself. Verbally. Just the way a psychopath would. Of course a REAL psychopath would have a fake badge and would NOT be there with a UNIFORMED cop right behind the motorcyclist but that is not the point.

        The point is the guardsman is being charged with criminal violation of wiretap law. Even though he was recording the SAME incident the dashcam on the uniformed officers car was recording. Interesting that the police have a special exemption written into the Maryland law just for them.

      • Harold Olsen

        Plain clothes or undercover is irrelevent. Even a cop in uniform must identify himself as a cop. A citizen has the right to see a cop’s identification even if that cop is in uniform. Just because someone wears a uniform doesn’t mean he is a real cop. I work as a security officer and the uniform I wear is identical to the uniform worn by Seattle cops. People frequently mistake me for a real cop even though I do not carry a weapon. Unless you look closely at my badge, It looks like the badges worn by SPD.

  • dan of arizona

    not all cops are bad BUT there are a lot that are. I dont see him throwing him down on the ground and sticking a shotgun in the back of his head which was common in calif. if you had a harley and a beard, every day on the way to work. but that is not as bad as the judge that stepped on the law about the camera its got to show you something is wrong with the system and it needs to be brought to every ones attention

  • Judy

    Are there examples of effective border security walls around the world and how are they constructed?

    Why not build impenetrable walls and offer work permits to those wishing to work in the US as long as they submit to and carry state of the art photo-fingerprint and take an oath of allegiance not to work against the US or carry drugs etc…and designated border crossings?

    What precautions are being taken to ensure that illegal aliens or amnestied citizens do not determine the next election?

  • Claire

    While I do not approve of the above situation if it is indeed true, I wish to point out the fact that many state troopers have been shot and killed when pulling over a speeder, a drunk, a criminal, druggies, etc. The job of a state trooper is not an easy one. In reality, with the way the world is today, they do risk their lives on a daily basis. A majority of them are alone while on the job and I do believe they need their cameras that are installed inside their vehicles.
    There are cops that are “rogue” cops, and some are and can be abusive. Plus the fact there are good cops/state troopers. There are a lot of nuts out there in this world. It is a job I would not want. I consider it to be a thankless job.

    • DaveH

      They do have the choice to not apply for that job, Claire. If they think it’s too dangerous, they should stay home. There is no excuse for the police to become more of a danger to the people than the criminals are. Who protects us from the police?
      http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/drug-war-victim/

      • Claire

        DaveH–Many factors figure in when a person wants to become a cop/trooper. Yes, it is a choice. Just like people choose to their life’s work. As I said, some do end up bad, but there is still some good ones out there. However, The bad ones will tarnish the character/reputation of the entire barrel.

      • William

        Claire. with good supervision the bad ones are weeded out so as not to spoil the barrel. I was given a speeding ticket in Virginia by a bad cop.he was abusive, I am from N.C. when I got home I sat down and wrote the Gov. of Virginia a letter. it was Gov. Wilder. it didn’t take long for me to get a call from the first sergeant of that troopers district, and he assured me they were well aware of the fact they did get some bad apples but they would not let one bad apple spoil the barrel. yes the trooper was fired,

      • Claire

        William: Good for you. If the bad ones are weeded out, that is great. I still support the good state troopers and cops. I often wonder about the fact that it is rather “hard” for them to protect themselves in this day and age. Sometimes it seems like the laws were made for the criminals. Heaven help the honest policeman that shoots/kills some of these creeps. To me, sometimes the laws/judges are unfair, and too lenient.

      • Ellen

        Claire: still that nagging question…….who protects us from the police and how do we document anything when they deny everything and protect each other? It is well known now that the police are much more abusive, brutal, and thuggish. We are, for the most part, living in a police state. Now what do we do???

      • Claire

        Ellen– Police state? I don’t quite go along with that. To me it seems there is more crime: criminals, terrorists, illegals, druggies than ever before. How is the world can an honest cop protect himself/herself? They get into trouble if they kill a criminal, they really have to prove their innocence. As I said, laws seem to protect the criminal and the judicial system needs a damn good overhaul. The rapists, pedophiles, drunks, etc. sometimes come out smelling like a rose. Where is the justice in some of these cases? This matter concerns me.
        I have never been in “trouble” with the law. The only dealings I have had is if I got lost going to a dog show. I simply flag down a trooper, a cop and ask them the correct way to where I want to go. They have all been super nice. I was stopped once on I55 headed for a dog show–a state trooper pulled me over- I was only doing about 7-9 miles over the speed limit. But I think he pulled me over because I have a full size Chevy van. It is huge. He did look inside, and when the dogs saw him they gave him hell. He probably thought I had a bunch of illegals in the van. Instead I had 5 dogs. He really laughed and told me to drive safely and do the speed limit and that was it. I guess he could have searched for drugs but he didn’t.
        Back to the subject at hand–Me, I would probably be in jail if I were a cop. If a criminal pulled a gun on me, I would try and make sure I was not going to be the one to die. I have no tolerance for criminals. None whatsoever. I cannot imagine living a life of crime. God has given all of us a lifetime to be the best we can be. We all have choices in life. I simply cannot understand why a person chooses to be a criminal.
        I still say being a cop/state trooper would be tough. Can you imagine some of the horrific scenes they have seen? A person would have to have a cast iron stomach.
        I will never do nothing to provoke the law, but then again, on the other hand, they best not do anything to provoke me. I won’t put up with it. This may sound self-righteous and braggardly, but I have lived a good and decent life, and I will not step on their toes just as long as they don’t step on mine.

      • Ceddy Bear

        I agree Claire. Just as with any organization you have your good with the bad. Overall I appreciate what our law enfircement officials do for us. There was an officer where I live several years ago who was killed in a routine traffic stop by an illegal alien. They face danger on a regular basis and no telling what stress they face balancing work with family issues. I didn’t really feel that video was as bad as it was made out to be. Probably could have done without weilding the weapon at the guy, but maybe that’s standard practice (I don’t know). Perhaps he wouldn’t have been in this situation if he just wouldn’t have broken the law in the first place. Whenever you break the law you are saying that you are willing to suffer the consequences. Over all appreciate what the guys in blue do for us and put up with daily despite the few exceptions.

      • Claire

        Ceddy Bear–I am going off the subject, but now with the upcoming Arizona law, I am concerned that people will have a fit and claim racial profiling. This we do not need. Let the officers do their job. As I said before, if I get stopped, I will gladly show my ID. I will not consider it to be an infringement against my rights. I just want the illegals out of here. How else will officers be able to get them all? How will they be able to do anything if people start screaming “racial profiling.”

      • Peg

        Dave I so agree with you…….police are out of hand..something needs to be done!!!

      • soldier

        First of all, you can’t just smash into someone’s house without PROBABLE CAUSE and a WARRANT. Were either of these two factors met before they smashed into his home? If not, then why wasn’t this case thrown out? Whoever this staff S’s lawyer was, he or she must be the absolute most pathetic lawyer known to man for not being able to get this thrown out if the evidence was illegally obtained.

        Secondly, the jury can throw any case right out the window. Of course the brain dead public would never realize its power as a jury.

      • Dr. Mabuse

        Right on both accounts, specifically what you refer to is called jury nullification. Simply, it means that if the jury feels that the charge is unjustified they can rule that the defendant is not guilty.
        This is in spite of “the letter of the law.” However in real time, the judge nor the prosecutor will make a jury aware of this fact and in most cases neither will the council for the defendant do so because of the threat of covert admonishment and sanction.

      • vicki

        SO we have to do it by telling everyone we can about FIJA.org which works to pass laws requiring Judges to tell the jury their FULL duties as jurors.

        This of course would be the jury box that I mention from time to time :)

      • csacowboy

        Guys,
        On June 8th my house was surrounded by county sherriff’s SWAT. I had no hostages nor did I have an armed standoff. When called on the phone by the SWAT Lt asking me to come outside, I asked if they had a warrant. Their replay was NO! Then they asked to come into my house. Again I asked if they had a warrant & again the answer was NO!
        I told them if & when they had a warrant to call me back & I would pleasantly comply with their request. Which I did albeit 1 1/2 hours later of them standing in the pouring rain.
        My question……Why would SWAT organize & surround a house without first obtaining a warrant????? Because they’re thugs who believe they’re above the law!!!
        Oh, as soon as the Lt was next to me, I handed him my attorney’s card and said “We’re done here. Call my attorney.”
        Guess what…..no search of my house for firearms, weapons other than firearms, drugs, hostages, bodies, etc. Maybe my German shephard sitting inside at the front door had something to do with that but I’m betting thay realized they were dealing with a person who is knowledgeable of the law & that their warrants were for arrest only not search & seizure.

      • Claire

        csacowboy–What were they looking for? Did they tell you?

      • flash

        Peg, if you had to deal with all the idiots and criminals in our society, many of whom would just as soon run you over or shoot you, you would take off those rose colored glasses!

      • Mark Are

        Peg is wearing the rose colored glasses? And what color are yours “flash”, emerald green? Like in the Wizard of Oz? You need to do a little research about police abuse of power. Seems that the good ones are going to spoil the barrel of bad ones soon.

      • Greg

        Take a piece of paper and a pen and write the governor. If you do nothing, nothing will be done. This is what is wrong with the American people…they don’t want to upset the apple cart so they do nothing.

      • charlie

        maybe you should ride along with a cop just 1 time.. you don’t know what the guy was doing to get pulled over do you? cop’s usually don’t pull you over,unless you are doing something stupid.. I have a bike, and the only time I get pulled over, is when I speed.. have not had a problem in many years,as I learned to SLOW DOWN AND OBEY THE LAW

      • ChimpImp

        Dear Charlie,

        Are you serious???? Do you read???? The author clearly states he was legally pulled over for speeding. He was not challenging that. He was challenging the officer’s abuse of authority which was captured on video.

        Yes, law enforcement officers have tough jobs but does that entitle them to be abusive under the color of authority????

      • Harold Olsen

        I don’t own a car and never have and never will. However, I have been stopped numerous times by cops for “suspicious” activity. Would you like to know what that “suspicious” activity was? Well, at an uncontrolled intersection I looked both ways before crossing the street. At a controlled intersection I waited until the light said “walk” before crossing the street. One cop went so far as to say that I was acting suspicious because as soon as he showed up I crossed the street to get away from him. I explained to him that I crossed the street because the light had just changed and I was unaware of his presence until he hit his siren. He then contradicted himself and said the only reason why I waited until the light changed was because I saw him and would have otherwise crossed against the light.

      • Harold Olsen

        You are correct. No one puts a gun to their heads and orders them to join a police department. It’s their choice. If they are so scared and paranoid then maybe they should find something else to do. In this day and age it seems that many cops seem to think that the badge they wear gives them the right to do whatever they wish and treat people any way they wish. Thugs with badges. That’s the way it is here in Seattle where I live. Polls in recent years show that Seattlites are more afraid of the police than the criminals. The only difference they see is the police wear badges. The Seattle cops seem to have the idea that if they break the law their badges make it legal. Cops harrass people who are minding their own business and when you need a cop, they oftentimes do not show up.

      • Ceddy Bear

        Here’s a fix for your problem Harold: just get rid of all the police, right? Then your problem is solved. No more cops. Just you, your neighbors, and the criminals. Just the way you want it. Enjoy!

    • Vippy

      True, state troopers are in a dangerous job. However, no one has the right to come in to your house and take whatever. If you have a photo or video without somewhere stating that it cannot be distributed
      no law has been broken. This is a bullying technic of the government
      which makes us out like the Soviet Union or North Korea.

      • Mark Are

        I think the guys working on the power lines have a more dangerous job than a state trooper. Seriously, how many, in a year, in this country are gunned down? Most are killed because they pull someone over in an unsafe place and they get run over for being STUPID. Helps remove PSYCHOPATHS from the gene pool. Maybe decals should be issued to put on the car doors…sort of like the way aces in WWII put enemy planes on their fuselage.

      • Ceddy Bear

        Do you actually think before things just pour out of your mouth? What FACTS do you have to support your claims?

    • jim

      The problem isn’t the traffice stop; the problem is how the government (in cohesive action with the state police) raided this man’s property. We have a Bill of Rights which is to keep this kind of Gastapo actions at bay. It would seem that the Bill of Rights and our Constitution are just so much toilet paper for this current administration and all who follow their lead.

      We best learn from the hijacking of our freedoms, just where those freedoms originate. They DO NOT originate from any government. The role of governement is to protect the God given freedoms of the USA. Lastely it seems our government has lost sight of this truth. God Help Us.

      • Ivan Johnson

        Because of MADD, the economic situation, war on drugs, creeping violation turning into jail able misdemeanors, and the rise of combative tactics, the idea that the Bill of Rights applies when you are involved in any way with driving IS NO LONGER TRUE. You can be arrested on a highway and not even told why you are being arrested. Your car can be searched and you have no recourse unless you keep a copy of the entire case law in your car for the jurisdiction you are operating in to preserve your privileges. The absurd conclusion of this is that you could sign yourself into slavery while driving since the Bill of Rights does not apply on the public ways.

        Most states have adopted the legal notion that driving is a “privilege and not a right.” Therefore we have what is called “implied consent” that means that the Bill of Rights is out the window when you drive. Driving now depends on the total judgement of the police. One cannot refuse to answer a question or disobey ANY police order while on the road.

        Finally in many Courts the charges and the outcome are based solely on the “sworn statement of the police officer.” You are assumed guilty; negotiation, rather than justice, feeds the outcome in the Court. In the Halls of Justice, Justice in the halls.”

        Take your Driver Ed and the latest Operators Manual with a grain of salt. Unless you have a complete understanding of “Following the instructions of the Police Officer” and COMPLY, you will be arrested!

        It has gone from a good police person using experience and judgement to zero tolerance. Many of these respectful police, and the vast majority are, are now retiring. They truly believed in “protect and serve.”

        They are being replaced by a generation of “diverse” police who have to depend on combat tactics rather than reasonable discussions. All that is required in most states is a high school education and a 3 month police academy course.

        Todays’ Police are trained to lie in regular criminal justice courses. If they are not in control you will be tased or worse. It’s not just Rodney King, it is you. Get used to it , you are in jail as you drive.

        The police are taught in the normal course of duty to learn how to lie and deceive in order to “gather evidence, etc.” Police reports are regularly a tissue of lies – this has been going on since the beginning of time. What good is a sworn statementif there are no consequences if they lie – keep videotaping and send it to the TV station, not YOU Tube!

        All police should be required to take the same DSM-IV based tests (not lie detector tests) that commercial pilots, etc. are required to take along with the MMPI component that screens for sociopaths and so on.

        The test they use now are a joke.

        I miss the police and troopers of the past who would give you a break. In most states revenue from traffic violations are up at least 300% in the past two years. This trend will only continue, and administrative charges, the hidden tax, will increase!

        Bring back the good cop who would listen and work with you. They are still out there but their numbers are dwindling.

      • Mark Are

        But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security…

        I’m not consenting anymore. They can kiss my ass.

      • Claire

        Mark Are–I remember years ago, some guy told another guy to kiss his a$$–and the guy said no thanks, it looks too much like your face.

      • Jeanne Green

        I am 77 and have seen this God=inspired nation elect a pitiful and I believe, evil, man as president.

        Robbing Hood (via Chicago politics) and his merry red czars who
        want to take from the ‘rich’ ( those who earn their own living) and give to the poor (those who enjoy government entitlement checks)….often in exchange for their sacred vote…..and this obama-n-nation speaks with forked tongue. Are many Americans so brainwashed with political correctness and media=created immorality they are blind?

        Face it, our rights have been so eroded, the founding fathers would hop the next boat away.

        My ancestry inclides John and Priscilla Alden and the man who held the bible when Washington took his oath of office. I am poor (at 77 happy for my social security check I paid in from age 15 to 72) and I raosed my son w/o any foodstamps etc etc etc and also 4 grandchildren for 10 years. Where are the American men willng to step forward and follow Glenn Beck and the TeaParty lead…or is football more important.

        When America has turned into a pitiful European socialist nation, it will be too late to act. God bless. The police problem is but another symptom…we can than unions who protect bad cops for that! and union help elect obamas. ugh!

      • Dan Burke

        “In most states revenue from traffic violations are up at least 300% in the past two years.”

        Here is a portion of the puzzle. Why are they up? Maybe it is the cops? Or maybe it is politics? Could it be that that costs of our police service continues to rise? Or is it that funding is being cut? My understanding was that revenues were in part because some departments were pushing to overcome budget shortfalls.

        If the costs are rising, why? Is it unions? Is it new technologies? Is it an increase in crime? Is it a mix of factors?

        If funding is being cut, why? Is there less tax revenue (increasing taxes can reduce actual revenue brought in)? Is the money being spent elsewhere? Is the money going to environmental projects instead? Or for extending welfare? Roads? Education (more unions, etc.)? Or is it that new development project that the tax payers are paying for to increase business revenue?

        Off topic: I always found it ironic that airlines do so “well” that the taxpayers have to pay for the airport expansions and improvements–if it SO good for us and necessary, why can’t we “invest” individually or as companies instead? Because surely if it was a profitable venture then there should be profits there for those willing to look for it to be had as a return on our investment…. I’ll vote against the tax increase, but if you can show (and demostrate with results) an actual return on investment than I would volunteer some of my funds if I have sufficient to invest (which I am poor right now but I want to illustrate the difference). Think of it this way. If I put my money in the bank and only get a 2-3% return on my savings account but if I could put my money in an account funding an airport or other major investment that then collected money from the users (airlines?) and could give me even just 6-10% return on my investment, where do you think I would invest my meager savings (especially if I am thinking longer term so easy withdrawal isn’t as necessary)? But a tax I end up resenting because you have taken control of my choices from me. And, yes, I would vote against tax increases for police. Why? Simple, because history frequently shows that increasing taxes actually reduces revenue while also at the same time encouraging irresponsible spending. As much as I believe police officers represent the best among us (and their short comings of late I think reflect our own failings), I also believe that they too are no less prone to the lack of financial skills all the rest of us demonstrate time and again we lack.

        When it comes to welfare, I for one think food, shelter, and clothing–nothing fancy or above the minimum–and if those on welfare want better than that then they should earn it! Similar to my view on prisons. Just the minimum. Prison isn’t supposed to be a place you want to go. When you turn punishment into reward, why are we surprised at repeat crime. Now I am not saying that prisons as they are wonderful hotels for our criminals. What I am saying is that if you need prisoners to do something so it is easier to manage them (and I understand it perhaps takes fewer people to safeguard an active prison than it does to watch idle prisoners), but perhaps instead of spending on the luxuries, maybe put them to work (and yes, I know that some prisons do actually have work programs–some programs are even designed to help redefine these people into productive, law abiding citizens).

        And here’s another thought. Perhaps part of the problem is us. We’ve stopped showing respect for our police officers in general, and as such they get some many instances of disrespect that they have become hardened and begin to react as if all of us disrespect them (MSM, Hollywood, and television programs help train us to disrespect the law and those that enforce it). And as the POTUS sets the example, so follows the people. So as he disrespects our police, they not only feel the pressure from him but also from the people at all levels.

      • James

        Jim, the arresting state officer did nothing wrong, being ready for whatever, with a drawn sidearm, is common practice. But I fail to see what the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution has to do with this. The Constitution created the federal government and the Bill of rights imposed restrictions on it. The crime here, if there is one, was the ransacking of the cyclist’s home and the confiscation of his personal property by other state officers.

      • Orval

        The officer, IMHO, was completely out of line.
        1. He was in civilian clothes, in, apparently, his own car.
        2. He claimed to be a state officer, without showing ID.
        3. He approached the motorcyclist with a drawn weapon, which could have gotten him shot in self defense.

        That officer is a threat ot the safety of both the public and his own police force.

      • vicki

        Especially since you see in the video a marked police car pulled up behind the biker. Had the plain clothed cop pointed his gun at the biker the uniformed cop would be in the direct line of fire. If the uniformed cop needed to pull his firearm the undercover cop would have been in the uniformed cops line of fire.

        Further had the uniformed cop not known the undercover cop the uniformed cop might have shot the undercover cop to protect the biker from an “apparent psychopath”.

      • Mark Are

        Yea, some guy jumps out of an ordinary car with gun in hand, never ID’s himself and he is “ok”. He is a PSYCHOPATHIC nutcase that should be treated as one from 100 yards at a later date.

      • http://havenone teabag1948

        Hi vicki , Hi Mark & all outhers,
        Ur so right,the Trooper is a cowboy that should be delt with by his superiors.The video shows the crusier just behind the cycliest & the driver getting out of it.The plain clothes cowboy had no business doing what he did.

      • Mark

        Oh please stop with this God gave me my rights. There is no God, and your argument is on a level of a 7 year old who is waiting for Santa to bring him his gifts.
        The rights that are in the constitution were written down as the ultimate laws of the land because of what those who founded this country experienced as colonists.
        These were men of deep thought who did not have the distractions of modern man. No internet,tv nor radio. They gathered, discussed, debated and yes, they even argued. The constitution was the result of such effort. They were also enlightened enough to put in a mechanism to make changes to the constitution, but make the process difficult enough so that changes could not be made on a whim.

      • Mark

        “The fool has said in his heart ‘there is not God’”

      • FuLL10

        Hey Mark, READ some of our founding documents…Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of rights etc. See any reference to God anywhere? Just to save you the time, I will tell you God IS there.
        Must have been a mistake by the editor or a typo at the printers huh?
        Could any of those guys actually have had a belief in a supreme being? I think YUP! Thank you Lord for my GIFT of Faith.

      • vicki

        To the mark who believes there is no God.

        From whence do your rights come from? If not from God then who?

      • Pete2sail

        To Vicki and especially to the one who believes in the Constitution but derides the existence of God. Read the book :THE LAW” by Frederic Bastiat, written in the early 1800′s — can get at Amazon.com for as little as $3.95 — pete2sail

      • vicki
      • JeffH

        As the hair lipped dog barked…mark, mark, mark, mark….

      • James

        Mark, Our rights were won by the Revolutionary War against Great Britain. When the Founders created the federal government, only the powers enumerated in Article I, Section 8, were delegated to it. Then to assure those powers would not be used to legislate over rights, the Bill of Rights was added two years later in 1791. The Preamble to the Bill of Rights states that the purpose for its “restrictive clauses” was to “prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers” to legislate over rights.
        The Bill of Rights begins with “Congress shall make no law respecting…or prohibiting…or abridging” the five rights mentioned therein. The Ninth Amendment says this restrictive theme applies to all rights whether enumerated therein or not. And the Tenth Amendment reminds Congress that “powers not delegated to the United States…are reserved to the States…or to the people.”
        The Bill of Rights is not the source of our rights, it only prevents the federal government from meddling with them. Forty-four state constitutions have similar bills of rights restrictions on them, and in the six States that don’t, rights are still understood to be only subjected to the police power of a state.

      • Harold Olsen

        Haven’t you heard? The left considers the U. S. Constitution to be an illegal document. For the past decade or so I’ve been expecting some idiot activist judge to rule that the U. S. Constitution is unconstitutional. If Obama gets the chance to load up the Supreme Court that time will soon be hear.

      • James

        Harold O., What activist judges do is declare unconstitutional federal laws constitutional, it’s a roundabout way of amending the U.S. Constitution.

    • Dallas E

      But What Of The Charges Of wire Tapping ?? this Stop Was Made In Full View Of Passing Motorists, So Just How Is It Wire Tapping ???
      Yes Being A Trooper Is Dangerous, But This Is More Like A Cover-up Of
      Bad Policing, By Those Who Are To Serve & Protect.

      • vicki

        I wonder what the dashcam of the uniformed cop behind the biker shows?

    • William

      yes Claire. there have been many cops killed in the line of duty. that does not excuse the rest of them for acting like storm troopers nor does it excuse the state of Maryland for acting like a dictatorial power, you and I have as much right to photograph them as they do us. and I am glad they do have the camera’s as it shows what is happening and some of them have been stung by their own cameras.

      • Claire

        William–Like I said, it takes a few bad apples to spoil the entire barrel. This applies to a lot of professions, to life in general.

    • Ronald McFee

      What does the “dangers involved” have to do with the recording of the officers actions? I just don’t see the relevance! And the wiretapping laws??? What was he wiretapping? I also thought the person being recorded (over phone lines only) was to be protected from the actions of big brother – not the other way around!

      I think a fund should be established to take this all the way to the supreme court!

      Abuse, abuse, abuse!

      ron

    • http://yahoo carmelo

      i agree with what you said about the perils the cops has to face doing their duty. but the issue here is not the performance of their duty, but the right of the citizen to protect themselve from abuse from rogue cops that misuse our laws or spin the law to protect themselves from their act of abuse.

    • http://chigger-treatment.com Justin

      I wonder just how many of those cops had a gun put to their head to make them go on the road and enforce unconstitutional laws they have no business enforcing against the Citizens of this nation.

      If they would go looking for the real law breakers to keep Citizens safe it would be one thing. But to target travelers minding their own business is another. I do not like the idea of any of them getting shot but I also do not like the idea of them physically accosting the everyday citizen like he is some sort of criminal when the cop is the criminal aggressor.

    • refuse2lose

      Claire,you do not address the problem in the video….I should be able to tape anything I want,as long as I am on public property,this guy is being crucified because he posted a tape of an arrest. You sound like you would have no problem forfeiting your rights to a “protectionist” government.

      • Mark

        Weren’t there cases already where as a result we are told that we have no right to expect privacy in a public place??
        Using this story and the court cases, one would conclude that only private citizens have no expectations of privacy.
        Let’s throw in those traffic cameras into the mix.
        Heck, lets go a bit further and include the cameras in all the ATM machines. Why aren’t these cops busting down the doors of all the banks??

      • Claire

        refuse2lose–Whoops! I forgot to mention the video. The way I feel about it is–I should be able to video anything I want, I should be able to take any picture I want, and if I want to, I will. If I am harrassed because of doing this, then I will deal with it. I will not be afraid to defend my rights as a law abiding citizen. I would no doubt be handcuffed but I will get a lawyer if I have to.

      • Claire

        refuse2lose–BTW, don’t try to categorize me. I am my own person.

    • Mark Are

      Maybe if the PSYCHOPATHS that get jobs as state troopers would just be the criminals that they are and stay out of the job, we would be a lot safer.

    • Bear

      Claire, You are correct about our law enforcement not knowing what they are dealing with in their initial contact. This video is about as slanted as they get. We didn’t get to see the helmet cam’s video of what happened just before the stop. This “rocket rider” could have been weaving in and out of traffic at 80+ miles per hour trying to elude the troopers. I HAVE SEEN THESE CROTCH ROCKET JOCKEYS DO THIS! What I did notice is that the trooper did not keep his weapon aimed at the individual and that he holstered his weapon very quickly once he assessed the threat. I feel that for the footage shown, the trooper responded appropriately and efficiently.

      Our law enforcement today is dealing with threats that did not exist even two years ago. They are on the front lines with drug dealers and criminals as well as individual citizens driven to do desperate things as a result of this failing economy. People out of work with families to feed and mortgages to pay are sometimes forced to do things they would not ordinarily do in order to survive. The average criminal knows better than to pull a gun on an officer because of the additional charges he will face plus possibly getting killed, but the average citizen does not and might pull a gun on the officer and get himself or the officer killed. This is what every law enforcement officer faces on a daily basis when they are on the job. BTW, I am not a cop, but I do know what’s going on in their world.

      • http://www.personalliberty.com/liberty/rand-paul%e2%80%94libertarianwhacko/?replytocom=145200#respond Bill H

        Bear, I think the real issue here is not not so much the police action that was taken on the roadway, although he should have done a better job of identifying himself (shown his badge). You are correct in saying that he was not pointing the gun at the individual and was only letting the person know he had one and was ready to use it if necessary. The real issue here is that crap about the charge of wire-tapping. This charge is completely rediculas. Many people have recorded police acting inappropriately without repercussions. I can only assume that Maryland must have thought that it put the policemans actions in a bad light and decided to punish the motorcyclist for publishing the tape. It seems to me that it is The State of Maryland who is guilty of accosting it’s citizens without “probable cause”.

      • Claire

        Bear– I agree with your post. Things are certainly worse than they were 2 years ago. The crime rate has skyrocketed. It is to the point where a person cannot trust anything.

      • Claire

        Bear–I forgot ot mention in my post to you–now law enfporcement officers have to be on the lookout for terrorists in addition to all the other vermin.

      • Claire

        enforcement….

    • TeresaE

      Claire, yes it is a tough job. A job that in most locals pays decently, with better benefits than I will ever be able to afford and for life to both the trooper and their surviving spouse.

      All of that deflects from the real point. The government, at ALL levels, is on a tear to throw out our Constitution and make this a police state. If we do not have the right to protect ourselves against the government, then all is doomed.

      Next step, ratifying the UN small arms treaty which will leave us all at the mercy of both the criminals, and our government.

      Wake up. Just because they are “police” does NOT make them more moral, nor better, than those of us that pay their salaries. Just because they get a government paycheck, does not make them immune to corruption, hostility or any other reality of the human condition.

      Just as there are bad mechanics and doctors, there are bad cops too.

      If we allow the government to take away ALL our protections (and truly, that is all that a videotape of such a thing is, protection for both participants), we might as well throw in the towel.

      We are being crushed to death under laws that are unconstitutional, either wake up and demand your rights back, or enjoy your children’s serfdom. It won’t be such a wonderful life for our kids under this gestapo mentality.

      • Claire

        TeresaE– Wake up? I believe I am awake. I simply am not the type of person that goes off half-cocked.
        We have already been “crushed to death” by past administrations and the current administration. This is nothing new. It has been going on for a long time, and it is getting worse. This garbage didn’t happen overnight.
        Your comment “just because they get a government paycheck does not make them immune to corruption, hostility, or any other reality of the human condition” does apply to law enforcement officers, any government employee, but don’t forget to include all politcians.

    • RWK

      Frankly I don’t see the abuse here. Certinly not shown on this video. I do see the mistake. The officer should have shown his badge as he got out of his car and pulled his gun. Thats a mistake, one that could have lead to dire concequenses for the officer, cyclist and passing motorist. This officer probably got a mouth full and repremand maybe even some retraining when this scenc was exposed. Maybe he was just a rookie and not a rouge cop at all. The rest of the story is about the authorities going over the top to protect their image. Mistake #2. If you guys want to read more into this, than thats your deal, but come on….. Other than a comment that the bike rider was speeding and deserved a ticket, we have no way of knowing how fast, how dangerous or how reckless this cyclist was.
      Give the officer some space, when he accessed that there was no threat he holstered his gun. He didn’t wave it around like a man on fire or order the guy on the ground or kick the bike out from under him, or punch him ar swear at him or call him a “cracker” or cuff him up or throw him in the car and take him jail!

  • DaveH

    With Government what’s good for the goose is not good for the gander.
    What would one expect from the biggest gang in the land?

    • independant thinker

      Given the number of instances of people impersonating an officer this guy is lucky he is not pushing up daisies.

      • Claire

        independent thinker– Very true.

      • David

        I don’t know what the motorcylce rider was doing, and maybe I’m not seeing something because of the limited view of the camera, but from what I see on this video, if a man approaches my vehicle looking and acting like that, there will be a shooting. I carry, (Legally!) and all I see is a man with a gun. There is no indication that he is a cop, until he says he is, but of course he offers no ID. May be he was right to stop the motorcycle, I don’t know. But coming out of a plain vehicle, in plain clothes, carrying a gun, no ID, no badge? In every “Deadly Force” training scenario I’ve ever conducted or participated in, he is an immediate threat, and that is a shooting situation.

      • THomNJ

        I agree with David – this trooper did not exit his vehicle with his BADGE out – he immediately drew his gun. I have only ever been stopped a couple of times in my life but never have I heard of someone being stopped by an officer who immediately pulls a gun and DOESN’T show his badge. Don’t know what the rider did before this, but if it was something for which the officer had a worry, then badge and gun should be out – the fact that he holstered his gun so quickly tells me that the rider was clearly not a threat to this officer.

        Maryland has two-party consent statute for voice recording, but it seems to me that public video recording and photography is not covered. But then, I am no attorney – nevertheless, I see no reason why a court would allow seizure of this man’s computer and camera.

        What should be happening is an apology and an explanation of why the officer did what he did. Sans an apology, it seems embarrassment and bad behavior and poor procedure was what happened…..oh, and a violation of the motorcylist’s rights.

      • Rick

        Well, if the motorcycle rider was black, the cop would be in deep troubel and obama would take them out for a beer.

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