Stadium Visitor Told To Hit Delete Button (by Secrect Service)

[whopis01]

Source: 9NEWS NOW

ASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- Like a number of people without a ticket to the Nationals' game Sunday, Mark Butler stood outside the left field gate and watched some of the historic event from a distance. The Minnesota man carried a digital camera to capture the memories. For a member of the Uniformed Division of United States Secret Service, Butler captured too much.

9NEWS NOW photographer Greg Guise was rolling when an officer approached Mark Butler. Butler said the officer demanded he delete any pictures that showed the security checkpoints set up to screen fans for the visit by President George Bush.

"It's kind of like not being in America," Butler said. Butler said he was not interested in the security but in the part of the stadium you could see beyond the gate.

When specifically asked about the legality of ordering someone to delete pictures Wiley answered, "We have the authority to ask them to remove the picture from the camera."

Read more: http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=70207

[NoodleyAppendage]

1. Someone needs to stand up to this Gestapo bullshit and ask them "to kiss my American ASS." n/t

J

[Hawkeye-X]

2. He needs to sue SS for 1st Amendment rights

and tell them (as well) that SS is not in charge of 9NEWS NOW photography department, and to ask his boss.

[TheWraith]

16. Also Fourth. This would likely constitute unreasonable search and seizure.

Possibly even punitive damages, since the photographs would have had commercial value, and they were attempting to interfere with his business.

Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer.

[izquierdista]

21. Sue the SS

Like that would help. I say deal with the SS the same way the Red Army did over 60 years ago. There is still plenty of room in Siberia.

[MindPilot]

3. I think the more pertinent question should be

what have you done to make you so afraid of your fellow citizens?

[Lance_Boyle]

4. They have the authority to ask, but do we have the right to refuse?

Off to Gitmo with that terror camera, mister!

[DCKit]

11. Sure, but then they'll detain you in some shithole until after the game is over...

then release you without charge. Any normal person would consider this "false arrest", but until we start standing up to the use of this tactic, they're going to keep using it.

[Taverner]

20. They do have the right to ask

You have the right to refuse

[dragonlady]

5. Will they be this rigorous in defending the next president?

If not, we have an even more serious problem. Please, let's hope the Secret Service has not been taken over by the right-wing forces of incompetence and politicization like every other agency in our government.

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. If they are, will some DUers be just as indignant as they are now?

:shrug:

[Plucketeer]

6. The Gestapo!

[Stinky The Clown]

8. We have the authority to ask them to remove the picture from the camera."

Oh yeah? Sez who, you jack booted thug?

[hootinholler]

9. As long as they just ask, it's ok.

When they beat you for refusing, not so much.

-Hoot

[Bonobo]

12. Actually that's not ok either.

Using the uniform to intimidate like that is not ok.

Implying that you have the power to order people to delete their photos is not ok.

The slow creep of fascism across this country is not ok.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-lizirk0331,0,5226608.story

[VP505]

10. That would have been my question

to the SS, where in the Constitution does it say that so I can look it up?

[damntexdem]

13. But do they have the authority to make them actually delete the pictures.

What if the person says "no"?

[Texano78704]

14. Inquiring minds want to know

What if you just say no? Seems to me that there some laws about having follow the directions of a law enforcement officer. How far does that go?

[superkia]

25. At a minimum, I would agree with post #11.

[Gormy Cuss]

34. From the weasel word phrasing, it sounds like the answer is no, they can't force it.

Of course, it takes someone well versed in the law to be able to say no to law enforcement "requests" without fear of arrest.

[woundedkarma]

15. I think this is a non-story.

I do not like bush. I think he's trying, purposely or being controlled purposely, to destroy this country and everything it stands for.

However, this is a matter of security for our presidents. I have no problem with the Secret Service/FBI doing their job as long as they ARE doing their job. That includes making sure that security check point photos are not available for study by anyone seeking information on the President's protection detail.

[Occulus]

24. .

http://images.google.com/images?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hl=en&q=president+security+checkpoint&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2

[bmbmd]

33. LBJ came to my uncle's funeral in Graham Tx in 1963.

I sat right in front of him. The Secret Service would not allow bystanders to photograph him or his entourage. I saw them confiscate a camera from a young girl.

[bagrman]

17. Gives me a nice warm feeling Comrades!

Everyone should start carrying those cheap little cameras so if anything happens they can record it. Ya know a car accident, Condelleza getting flipped off by a bunch of mad hatters. Ya never know what you might catch.

Latr

[Lone_Star_Dem]

18. Way to go channel 9!

"We we're asked not to air video of the checkpoints. But, since the large crowds waiting to get through the checkpoints were such a large part of the story, we respectfully declined."

[northzax]

19. he should write his congressman about this outrage!

oh right, you all won't let us have one. but I guess just having pictures deleted is much more offensive.

imagine how much more fun security will be in DC when the Supreme Court we had no say in appointing throws out our fairly sensible gun laws! I bet Chimpy never even goes outside anymore.

[joeglow3]

22. I think the guard made the right decision

After all, why would anyone want to take a picture of Bush unless they were scouting the place out?

[lynne]

23. He was asked to delete pics that contained the security checkpoints -

- For obvious reasons, pictures of security measures and methods are of a sensitive nature and the request is a logical one from a security viewpoint, IMO.

[Hannah Bell]

26. if everyone at the game went through the checkpoints, how is

a picture of what thousands of people saw in person some state secret?

[lynne]

27. The answer is in your question -

- some saw it and have no record or evidence and probably little memory of it. However, a picture is worth a thousand words.

[Hannah Bell]

28. not an answer to me. if someone were that interested in knowing

about the checkpoints they could have bought a ticket, or hired someone who did. it was a public event.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

32. Flaming Bullshit...

If somebody is intent on learning Secret Service procedures, one can easily observe and recall how they operate. Any activity that is occurring in plain view of the public (as this was) is not and cannot be considered classified.

[bluesmail]

29. We have our veys

[Jersey Devil]

30. Also, they were technically ignorant since the pics could be undeleted

As long as the files were not written over (by taking other pictures), if the photographer really was a terrorist out to capture the security plans of the SS, all he had to do was take the camera home, open the memory chip in his computer and undelete the files. There is lots of free software that can do that for you.

[Gman]

31. Whenever a cop would tell me something about what he can do

if I don't agree I always respond with, "...in your opinion." They will look at you weird, and say something like, "No, I can do that." And I respond again with, "In your opinion." I had one once say, "No, I've been trained. I know what I can do and I can do that." I responded again, "In your opinion, and the opinion of whoever trained you." Sometimes I will ask them if they understand that the law is nothing but opinions. They look at you like a dog with their head cocked sideways about something they don't understand.

They can't handle it.