The Legal Aid Society filed an amicus brief at the Second Circuit in support of all New Yorkers’ right to record the police in the public spaces of police precincts. Legal Aid argued that the New York Police Department (NYPD) policy of banning filming in the public spaces of police precincts was in violation of State and City Right to Record laws, which provide a broad right to record the police.

Our amicus brief illustrated the public’s interest in recording their interactions with police officers in precinct lobbies, providing real-life examples of our clients being harassed and unlawfully arrested when attempting to use precincts as intended, such as to retrieve property or file a missing object report.

The Second Circuit referred the case to the New York Court of Appeals to decide whether the NYPD’s ban on filming in the public spaces of police precincts violated the State and City Right to Record laws.

The Legal Aid Society also filed an amicus brief at the New York Court of Appeals, where the Second Circuit certified the question of whether the State and City Right to Record laws protected Mr. Reyes’ actions of recording in the public lobby of a police station. Legal Aid argued that the New York Police Department (“NYPD”) policy of banning filming in the public spaces of police precincts was in violation of State and City Right to Record laws, which provide a broad right to record the police.

Our amicus brief illustrated that the intent of the legislatures would include people recording their interactions with police officers in precinct lobbies to help police transparency and accountability. The brief reiterated the real-life examples of our clients being harassed and unlawfully arrested when attempting to use precincts as intended, such as to retrieve property or file a missing object report.