Ruling Allows Police Recordings In Illinois
By: Patrick Fazio
Updated: May 10, 2012
It's legal in most states, and now citizens in Illinois are allowed to record audio of police in public, at least temporarily. It's just one of the major developments in the court cases challenging the Illinois Eavesdropping Law.
A preliminary injunction from the 7th Circuit Federal Appeals Court in Chicago on Tuesday ordered authorities to stop arresting and charging citizens who record audio of police in public. But the ruling is only a temporary order and says the Illinois Eavesdropping Law "likely violates" the First Amendment.
The Illinois Attorney General's Office has also just dropped its appeal in the Illinois Supreme Court against Michael Allison. He's the local man who faced felony charges and prison time for recording law enforcement in public, as reported in previous NBC 2 investigations over the past year.
The Attorney General is still appealing a similar case in the Illinois Supreme Court involving Christopher Drew from Chicago. But Drew just passed away from lung cancer on Monday. His attorney tells NBC 2 that he still wants to continue Drew's case to try to get the Illinois Supreme Court to overturn the Illinois Eavesdropping Law.
All this comes as an Illinois lawmaker has introduced a new bill that would permanently allow citizens to record police in public.
A preliminary injunction from the 7th Circuit Federal Appeals Court in Chicago on Tuesday ordered authorities to stop arresting and charging citizens who record audio of police in public. But the ruling is only a temporary order and says the Illinois Eavesdropping Law "likely violates" the First Amendment.
The Illinois Attorney General's Office has also just dropped its appeal in the Illinois Supreme Court against Michael Allison. He's the local man who faced felony charges and prison time for recording law enforcement in public, as reported in previous NBC 2 investigations over the past year.
The Attorney General is still appealing a similar case in the Illinois Supreme Court involving Christopher Drew from Chicago. But Drew just passed away from lung cancer on Monday. His attorney tells NBC 2 that he still wants to continue Drew's case to try to get the Illinois Supreme Court to overturn the Illinois Eavesdropping Law.
All this comes as an Illinois lawmaker has introduced a new bill that would permanently allow citizens to record police in public.
