Chicago Defense Lawyer

Kid Faces 16 Years In Prison For Recording His Arrest

Chicago Defense Attorneys have been talking about this crazy arrest. A 25 year old kid is now facing 16 years in jail after videotaping and posting a video of police pulling a gun on him during a traffic stop.

ACLU Preps Defense of Man Who Taped Police

Written by Scott Broom 9NEWS NOW & wusa9.com

Lexington Park, Md. (WUSA) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland has taken up another case involving a motorcyclist who has been charged with a felony for videotaping police pulling a gun on him during a traffic stop.

Twenty-five year old Anthony Graber was pulled over by Maryland State Trooper Joseph Uhler in March while the motorcyclist was recording his trip on a helmet mounted camera. Graber admits to speeding, and one version of the video on YouTube shows him popping a wheelie as his speedometer hits 128 mph, while he was going north on I-95 in Harford County.

Uhler, who was in plainclothes at the time, briefly pulled his gun as he confronted Graber.

After Graber posted the video to YouTube, police raided his home, seized cameras and computers and charged him with a felony that could land him in jail for up to 16 years.

“I don’t want to go to jail,” Graber told WJZ in Baltimore. “It wasn’t a violent crime no one was injured.”

Police say they are applying the law fairly.

“We are enforcing the law, and we don’t make any apologies for that,” said State Police spokesman Greg Shipley when he spoke to WJZ.

When the police have to tell you that “they are applying the law fairly” you can bet it is not being applied fairly.

Our Chicago Lawyers reviewed the full tape of the arrest and really do not have any problem with the traffic stop, or the way the officer exited the car to make the arrest. The driver was traveling in excess of 120 mph and popping wheelies. He is a menace to the roadways.

But raiding the guy’s home, taking computers, and charging him with a felony punishable by up to 16 years in prison is a bit much.

Could this be headed to Chicago? Well, Illinois and Maryland are the only two states that do not allow recordings without the consent of both parties – with, of course, the exception for the police who can record traffic stops without consent.

“Nothing to see here but the law being applied fairly. Move along.”