I happened to be out on the town enjoying New Year's festivities with my wife and friends. I happen to carry my digital camera for the evening, taking memorable shots and what not. As the event I attended ended, there were quite a few police in the area... rushing people out and urging them to go home. We made it across the street and waited for a few friends to make their way over and I notice two guys trying to box each other... looked almost like a slap boxing event lol, but it lasted about 15 seconds and the two were broken up as Event security stormed over there... then the police made their way over and tackled both of the guys lol... the situation was under control at this point... before the police intervened. They slammed the guys down and roughed um up a bit.. so I pulled out my camera and shot a flick and then a 2nd flick... one of the officers came to me and yanked the camera from my hands and said thanx for the evidence lol... and handed it off to another cop that immediately went to his patrol car... So i was in hot pursuit and demanded they give my camera back and demanding they had no right to confiscate my property. After all we were on public property (on a sidewalk) They finally wrote me the little receipt after threatening to arrest me and said I would get it back when the trial is done lol. The memory card was loaded with various family and friends pics that are not police business, however they'll see them being the nosey people they are. I feel my civil rights were violated. Has anyone run into a situation like this? I'll consult with my attorney this week. Were these cops in the right or wrong? Most likely they'll erase all my pictures in an effort hide their actions.
Cops Confiscate My Digital Camera... Legal or Illegal?
- Thread starter og MS
- Start date
Go get a copy of the police report, I bet it says you gave the camera over willingly. I don't think they have the right to take your camera without a warrant. If you want to file a complaint do it as soon as possible, don't wait a week unless you want it ignored. If you don't really care, then you'll probably have the camera back within a week... there isn't going to be a long "trial."
yea i figure 72 hours at the most .. being that them dudes werent doin shit and the DA will decide to not file charges at this time. But them bastards snatched my shit lol.. actually a sheriff's deputy snatched it and handed it off to a city cop lol.....
I just hope the fucks don't erase my whole disk... i got over 150 pics on there.. and 2 of that arrest....
I just hope the fucks don't erase my whole disk... i got over 150 pics on there.. and 2 of that arrest....
its fucked up but im pretty sure its legal...they can take anything that can be used as evidence...you'll get it back though...my friend who goes to SJSU got called into the police station and they took his camera phone and looked at pics he had taken at a party where a girl had gotten raped the night before...he got it back
there wasnt a crime in progress at the time... and they assumed I was flickin a shitload of shotz of the police... I offered to show them the two shots I clicked off however they werent tryin to hear it lol. Personally I hope they dont erase my entire memory disk like some dumb fucks... if they do , I may pursue legal action.
they need a warrant. the problem is that they can try to get around the warrant requirement with some exception, in this case their fear that the evidence would be destroyed.
try to get a quick conversation with your local public defender about it. then file a complaint with the police department. the more shit like that that gets on record, the better, because then it can be used later to show what cops do this type of shit. badge #s and names is best.
try to get a quick conversation with your local public defender about it. then file a complaint with the police department. the more shit like that that gets on record, the better, because then it can be used later to show what cops do this type of shit. badge #s and names is best.
What if the cops you file the report with are the same ones that took the camera???Or what if they dont let you file a complaint???Or what if they just throw it away???If these cops are crooked enough to take somebodys camera then who knows how far they'll go.If you file a report.Ive tried myself to get badge #'s and names and the cops never give them to me or they just give me a wrong #.But i agree with you he needs to get badge #'s,names,and file a complaint.