Apparently, the U.S. Department of Justice is asserting that individuals have rights under the First and Fourth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution to videotape police officers as they conduct police business. That's contrary to what you hear in Oregon, where people who tape the cops often have a state privacy statute shoved in their faces.

The story's here. A USDOJ letter taking the position in a Maryland case is here. We quote:

On January 10, 2012, the United States filed a Statement of Interest in this matter. In that statement, the United States urged the Court to find that private individuals have a First Amendment right to record police officers in the public discharge of their duties, and that officers violate individuals’ Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights when they seize and destroy such recordings without a warrant or due process.

Let's hope that the promiser-in-chief doesn't back down on this one.