http://www.freemarketnews.com/WorldNews.asp?nid=17667

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STUDENT BUSTED FOR TAKING COP PICTURES
Friday, July 28, 2006 - FreeMarketNews.com

A Penn State college senior was arrested after he pointed his camera cell
phone at police activity in his neighborhood. A Philadelphia NBC News
Channel 10 report says the family of Neftaly Cruz, 21, is claiming the
cops had "no right to come onto their property and arrest their
21-year-old son simply because he was using his cell phone's camera."

Cruz had heard a commotion outside his parents' home and walked out the
door to investigate it. When he saw the street lined with police, he
flipped his phone open to take a picture. Within moments, an officer came
to his back gate, put him into a police car, cuffed him and took him to
jail. According to a neighbor's report, the cop spoke only once during
this process, allegedly saying, "You should have just went [sic] in the
house and minded your own business instead of trying to take pictures off
your picture phone."

The charge against Cruz was based on a new law, allegedly prohibiting
people from taking pictures of police officers with cell phones. Cruz is
quoted as saying, "They threatened to charge me with conspiracy, impeding
an investigation, obstruction of a investigation..." Larry Frankel of the
local ACLU chapter, reportedly said, "There is no law that prevents
people from taking pictures of what anybody can see on the street,"
adding that, "it's rather scary that in this country you could actually
be taken down to police headquarters for taking a picture on your cell
phone of activities that are clearly visible on the street." - ST

Staff Reports - Free-Market News Network


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