Uniformed Cops on BP Payroll? Enter the ACLU  | Tue Jun. 29,
2010 3:03 AM GMT  Some updates on the incident I reported on
last week, in which an off-duty Louisiana sheriff's deputy
working for BP's private security detail harassed an
environmental activist who was neither on BP's property nor
breaking any laws. (Watch the video at the end of this post.)
First, some gratifying news: The ACLU has put Louisiana law
enforcement on notice. In a letter (PDF) released yesterday,
Marjorie Esman, executive director of the group's Louisiana
chapter, reminded the sheriffs of the coastal parishes that
"members of the public have the right under the First Amendment
to the U.S. Constitution to film, record, photograph, and
document anything they observe in a public place. No one—neither
law enforcement nor a private corporation—has the legal right to
interfere with public access to public places or the recording
of activities that occur there. Nor may law enforcement
officials cooperate with private companies in denying s