Florida Man Arrested for Recording Police in Public

A man from Pompano Beach, Florida, was arrested and charged with illegal interception of communication on Tuesday when he recorded a conversation with Palm Beach County deputies.

Courts have rule that it is legal to record police under the First Amendment.Carl Paul had questioned the traffic stop and asked police for their names. He was arrested after police noticed he was recording the conversation with his iPhone. Paul said he was “documenting what was happening,” according to an affidavit.

Paul was told he did not have permission to record the officers, a violation of state law in Florida.

Despite court rulings stating it is legal under the Fist Amendment to record police, it is a crime under the two-party consent law in Florida to intercept or record a “wire, oral, or electronic communication” in Florida, unless all parties to the communication consent.