Legal Question in Criminal Law in Pennsylvania

Reasons to be questioned or detained in a public place by police

Would like to know if current homeland security law permits law enforcement to stop, question, and/or detain someone for taking pictures in a public place or of a public place. Examples include bridges, city hall, trains, people in a park.


Asked on 11/19/04, 5:41 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Marc V. Taiani AAAL - Allegheny Attorneys At Law

Re: Reasons to be questioned or detained in a public place by police

Taking pictures in and by itself, even of bridges, tunnels, ext. unless your carrying a M16 assault rifle and waiving it around does not merit a police stop or detention. Anytime a police office detains you, touches you, and you feel you cannot leave you have been for all intense and purposes been arrested.

Regardless of the Patriot Act, you can still take pictures of bridges, tunnels, ext....now if you are on private property or on government property this changes everything, at this point your individual civil liberties become restricted....and most likely you can be prohibited from taking the said pictures.

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Answered on 11/19/04, 5:54 pm


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