Walk It Through: The Recorded Argument
A phone recording a fight, a recorder left in a room, and a picture that should not be shared.
During an argument with a landlord in the hallway, a tenant records the conversation on a phone.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
One argument and one bad idea. Recording police in public, a recording used in court, a workplace recording policy and a civil suit for invasion of privacy are not worked through here.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Eavesdropping deviceAny apparatus used to overhear or record a communication. Using one without the consent of a sender, a receiver or a party to the conversation is a Class 5 felony.
- Class 1 misdemeanorThe more serious of the two misdemeanor classes, with a maximum of one year in a county jail or a $2,000 fine, or both.
- Class 6 felonyThe least serious felony class: a maximum of two years in a state correctional facility or a fine of $4,000, or both.