City Subpoenas for Access to Tapes of 2004 RNC Protests

by mtippett | June 22, 2008 at 09:19 pm

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FluxRostrum brought this case to may attention. In New York, the City is trying to get access to the footage taken by RNC Convention protesters and their supporters. A group has emerged to challenge the request.

At trials stemming from arrests during the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York, a documentary group helped defendants by refuting police testimony with videotapes that chronicled the protests.
Now the city is turning the tables and is hoping to use tapes from the same group to defend itself against claims that demonstrators were unfairly arrested.

The group who has archived the material claims if their material can be used in this manner that:

its members said they were now subject to demands that could have a chilling effect on their work.

Video like this has played a crucial role in determining the outcome of many cases according to the Times:

Defense lawyers and prosecutors have estimated that video evidence led to the dismissal of about 400 cases. More than 1,800 people were arrested during the convention, but about 90 percent of the cases were dismissed quickly or adjourned in contemplation of dismissal.