IL - Tiawanda Moore went to Chicago police headquarters last August to file a complaint against a patrol officer for allegedly fondling her during a domestic disturbance call.
According to Moore, however, two police investigators assigned to investigate the officer's conduct instead tried to talk her out of pursuing the complaint. Frustrated, she put her BlackBerry on her lap and quietly flipped on its recorder.
But the former stripper was the one who ended up in trouble - criminally charged with violating an obscure state eavesdropping law that makes audio recording of police officers without their consent a felony offense.
According to Moore, however, two police investigators assigned to investigate the officer's conduct instead tried to talk her out of pursuing the complaint. Frustrated, she put her BlackBerry on her lap and quietly flipped on its recorder.
But the former stripper was the one who ended up in trouble - criminally charged with violating an obscure state eavesdropping law that makes audio recording of police officers without their consent a felony offense.
In a quick repudiation Wednesday of the prosecution case, though, a Criminal Court jury took less than an hour to acquit Moore on both eavesdropping counts. (more)
Others have not been so lucky in escaping this double-standard Kafkaesque selective application of the eavesdropping law in "two-party consent" states.
