Shield PST Research
When the Camera Comes to the Lobby
Court rulings, settlements, officer discipline and criminal cases from First Amendment audits and recording of police and public officials. Updated weekly.
A representative sample, not a complete list. Most audits are never reported in the news or in court. These cases were chosen because they show recurring legal issues and outcomes.
Courts now broadly recognize a First Amendment right to record police in public places, and in August 2026 the Second Circuit became the latest federal appeals court to say so. The same courts give agencies more room inside government buildings, where lobbies and offices are often treated as limited or nonpublic forums.
Most liability comes from the response, not the camera: arrests for refusing to identify, retaliatory charges, and force used on someone who is filming. Some auditors cross the line themselves, and trespass, obstruction and harassment convictions are part of the record too.
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Know what the auditor knows
Auditors prepare. These are the guides and rights cards they read and quote on camera. Officers who know them can tell when an auditor is on solid legal ground and when the auditor is wrong. Listed for reference, not endorsement.
- Protecting Our Rights Bill Vincent. A book-length guide to conducting First Amendment audits: legal, ethical and practical.
- You Have Every Right to Photograph That Cop ACLU. The rights summary auditors cite most often.
- Know Your Rights: Recording Police ACLU of Pennsylvania. A one-page card on filming officers.
- Filming the Police: Tips for Officers and Those Who Film Them Policing Project at NYU School of Law. Dos and don'ts for both sides of the camera.
Prepare your agency for the next audit
Shield PST trains officers, supervisors and front-counter staff on the right to record, stop-and-identify limits, lobby and office recording policies, and retaliatory-arrest liability.
Compiled by Shield Public Safety Training from news reports, court records and agency releases. This is a representative selection, not a comprehensive database of every audit or case. Case summaries are paraphrased; follow the source link for full reporting. Officers and filmers are not named unless criminally charged or named in a court caption. Last updated –.