Cleveland news team shows up to interview rape victim, cops send them off

[Bear44]

Cops are not in charge of enforcing "good taste."
I don't think they have any authority to order reporters off private property UNLESS the owner or resident of that property asked the cops to kick them off the premises.
Being 'appalled' is not legal authority to interfere with their right to investigate newsworthy events.

As for the "rape shield" laws, those may legitimately limit the news media in PUBLISHING the victim's identity (just like other privacy laws apply to her DOB, address, SSN, medical issues, etc.). But if the news station is just INVESTIGATING this incident and doesn't want to take some cop's write-up in the official version of the police report as the Gospel truth which omits nothing of any significance, the media has the right to investigate. Maybe they want to clarify some inconsistencies with the woman's story? Maybe they just want to publicize this bad thing that happened to her as a public service message that warns other women to be careful and not get into the same situation? Perhaps the news reporters never intended to ID the woman or challenge any aspect of her story, but just wanted to get more details of it so that it would make a more readable and relate-able article?

I'm with the news media on this one.

Now, if the rape victim had been telling these reporters that she doesn't want to talk to them and especially if she ordered them off her property, great. Let the cops chase off the reporters or arrest them for trespassing. But if that were the case, among the first words out of the cops' mouths should be "you were told to leave" rather than "I'm appalled... bad taste...never in my career have I heard of reporters doing anything like this..."

I don't think he ever actually told them to leave. As for the rest of your post.

 

[chucklenut]

P.S. If you think the reporters should be barred from trying to interview the woman because following that interview the news agency they work for MIGHT (speculation) reveal too much private information in a way that's illegal, you need to familiarize yourself with the doctrine of "PRIOR RESTRAINT." The government can't ban you from exercising your First Amendment rights just because later you might cross a legal line and break the law. The government must wait for you to actually break that other law and use your rights unlawfully before they can shut you down.

less to do with legal, more to do with bad taste and just blatantly disgusting from the media group

some rape victims will approach a news organization to give their accounts either as warning or as part of trying to track down the perpetrator of the crime. but I dont think this is one of those instances and a news organization really shouldn't be trying to track dow the victim for ****s sake

and I think the victim called the police to have the reporters removed (not sure about this)

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

Of course he (the cop) told them (the two reporters) to leave.
Listen to it again.

 

[timbgtm]

Must have been a slow news day or trump was unavailable.

 

[BIKER13]

I really believe they were trespassing on private property.

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

Why do you "believe" that? Did any of the cops make that allegation?
I just heard them complain that the victim's feelz would be hurt, and to leave the woman alone because that's the decent thing to do.

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

In 1987, Tawana Brawley said a bunch of white guys raped her. The cops took her at her word, but the news media was quick to point out her lack of credibility and the holes in her story. The grand jury would not return a true bill of indictment. Then the supposed rapists sued her for defamation, and won.

In 2006, Crystal Gail Mangum claimed a bunch of white preppy college boys raped her. It was a work of fiction. News reporters investigated her background and found she made similar accusations several years prior, in 1993, but they were never prosecuted for lack of evidence and nobody supporting Mangum's version of events. The DA's office tried its best to prosecute the case, even while the media made it clear that this mentally troubled black woman was just making up a story to get some Ivy-league white boys in trouble.
(Eventually the criminal charges against the young men were dropped, and the DA himself was prosecuted and disbarred for concealing evidence favorable to the defense. Miss Mangum went on to commit several other crimes including murder, and she's currently in prison.

Yeah, I WANT the news media to try to interview rape victims, and I want them to run investigations on those women and dig into their past behavior and present circumstances.

 

[BIKER13]

Why do you "believe" that? Did any of the cops make that allegation?
I just heard them complain that the victim's feelz would be hurt, and to leave the woman alone because that's the decent thing to do.

well if there was a news vehicle in my driveway uninvited would it not make me wonder? But yeah you are right cops should never show feelings towards a rape victim.By the book,oh I better not see them slime balls giving kids ****ing stuffed animals any more either

 

[AmbiEncE]

Unless it's your wife, daughter girlfriend or mother. But, I assume you would go ahead and call the media for them.
wtf!
All events aren't the same and should be considered individually.

 

[palmettomoon]

Lawyers and media 'personalities' aren't exactly renowned for their decorum or good taste.