Video Vigilantes and The Romney Campaign, a Sign of the Times

Los Angeles, CA—Back when the mainstream media had money the sensational hidden camera story was all the rage. Ambiguous privacy laws, deep pockets and lawyers changed the game, at least for well-healed broadcasters.

The days of big broadcasters using hidden cameras has ended because of the omnipresent specter of expensive litigation.

The landmark case that changed everything was in 1992 when ABC News, PrimeTime Live did a revealing hidden video exposé of the Food Lion supermarket chain’s really disgusting meat marketing deeds.

Food Lion was selling outdated meat to unsuspecting shoppers. ABC claimed the practice was a health hazard but allowed six months to pass before airing their story for the industry sweeps time. I guess it wasn’t that serious of a health threat after all.

It’s a safe bet that Food Lion would never have let ABC News come unannounced in with cameras, inspectors and reporters to show the public what they were actually buying. ABC News understood that and went in another more sensational direction.

ABC resorted to a clandestine route of deception, concealment and, of course the sneakycam. They infiltrated Food Lion with reporters, spooks and spies to gather news and make history.

The truth is always a defense against libel. Cameras seldom lie and wining a libel award over a hidden camera piece would be unprecedented.

As it turned out this was not about libel or for that matter the truth. Instead it was about trespass, deceptive acts and invasion of privacy.

Food Lion went to their lawyers who sued ABC and obtained a $5.5 Million jury verdict.

How does this impact today’s citizen journalist, blogger or the opportunist that uses a concealed IPhone or similar device to capture what might turn out to be a regrettable conversation or performance?

ABC News had really deep pockets, insurance and assets that Food Lion’s lawyers were confident in seizing. Had some small group of video vigilantes done the same thing, the lawyers would have had zero interest in pursuing Food Lion’s claims.

I’m not saying that Food Lion or anyone could not sue a citizen journalist, it just would be burdensome and a giant time waster. If they did prevail no jury would return such a large verdict against some vigilante with a camera.

Collecting even tiny judgments against ordinary folks can be very challenging or even impossible.

There are however laws in various states, about gathering audio or video that can be quite draconian and punitive. Citizen journalists must be very careful not to wind up charged with wiretapping type crimes.

The hidden camera investigations are again making headlines.

The Mitt Romney Campaign my have picked up several million new votes from his apparently candid remarks. Most Conservative voters could find little difference between Obama and Romney. Now they may take a chance in voting for a Liberal Republican. The effort to cripple the Romney campaign may have backfired!

A 40 Caliber Nightmare Is Caught On Tape.

So you’re confident that that .40 caliber S&W service round will keep you safe. Maybe you’ll have second thoughts after you see this video. One hot summer night in 1994 Tempe and Mesa Arizona police were involved in a pursuit with this suspect who ran into a stranger’s apartment to hide after being shot TWICE in the chest. He was shirtless and you can see the blood pumping out of those two wounds. What’s really frightening is just how agile this fellow is as he struts to the ambulance. If he was not handcuffed and had a knife or a gun, ask yourself if he could still hurt you, your partner or a hostage? If your jurisdiction demands that officers carry either the 9MM or the .40 Caliber S&W it’s time to show this video to your bosses and lobby to have the .45 ACP round authorized. The switch may well reduce the screaming by self-appointed community activists about how many rounds police had to use on a suspect. The really talented and courageous video journalist, Karen Ke...

The origin of the feature film, COME FRIDAY…

CLick On the pictures to see full size versions. Long ago there was a young lady I had the hots for in a big way (Yes, I know that hots is not a word). She was pretty, incredibly bright, and had some real elegance about her. She had a love for children and basic kindness that you don’t often see in someone her age. I met her parents and could understand she came from a much more stable home than mine. I was raised by a single, welfare mom and suddenly found myself way out-classed. For whatever reasons things did not workout they way I had hoped. Sadly for me, we went on our separate ways. From time to time I’d run into this lady in various places where our job had taken us. Whenever this happened my heart would skip a beat or two. I left my hometown Chicago, and moved to Arizona where I founded my detective agency. As a private eye and soon a TV news producer too, my career took me to the highest profile criminal events in Arizona and throughout the country. There’s no question that ...

America Will See Its Worst Race Riot Yet This Summer

Star Prosecution Witness, Rachel Jeantel Sanford, FL —Yes, the George Zimmerman trial here has thousands of African-Americans getting ready for some serious bloodletting. I don’t want to make idle and dire predictions but this nation has never been so divided and racially sensitive. Our African-American President took sides on this case at the very beginning. That ratified a George Zimmerman guilty verdict in the minds of millions. There’s just one little problem, and that is the murder case should have never been filed. It was filed purely for political reasons despite the fact that it was a simple justifiable homicide. Zimmerman was on the block watch lookout program and followed a suspicious Trayvon Martin after he used an improper entrance to a gated community. Zimmerman was acting as the eyes and ears of the Sanford Police Department. Martin did not like being followed and knew that he could easily beat up the out-of-shape...

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