Chris Drew’s prosecution documented / Ill. Eavesdropping Law- Cited in Wikipedia : State Attorney Anita Alvarez

Chris Drew UMCACreads tribune news Ill Law decared unconstitutio

photo and indie film features true story: “Free Speech & the Transcendent Journey of Chris Drew, Street Artist” (99 min) by Nancy Bechtol–Released/premiered 2014 at Logan Theatre, Chicago

this is excerpted from the Wikipedia Article:

Alvarez had prosecuted individuals under the Eavesdropping Act for recording police in public. Chris Drew recorded his non-violent arrest for street peddling of art. The peddling charge was dropped and Alvarez pursued the much harsher charge of recording police officers voice’s without their permission.[9] This charge could have a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.[10] Criminal Courts Judge Stanley Sacks dismissed the case on 2 March 2012, stating that the eavesdropping law was unconstitutional and that it was too broad and criminalized innocent behavior. Alvarez announced that she would appeal the ruling.[11] The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois successfully sued Anita Alvarez and she was ordered to stop prosecuting the ACLU employees and their agents under the Illinois Eavesdropping Act.[12] Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman ruled that the Illinois Eavesdropping Act, 720 ILCS 5/14, violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution when used as a method to prevent the open recording of law enforcement’s audible communications in public places while performing official duties, or the communications of others that are incidentally captured.[13] It was ruled that Cook County would have to pay the legal fees of the ACLU which amounted to $645,549.[14]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Alvarez

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