Tape Recorders

[Guams]

So the thread about when it is or isn't legal to record conversations got me wondering... what kind of tape records do you use? I'm in the market of picking one up before I start work again in the summer and was wondering what kind you guys use. Brand, model, pros, and cons would be appreciated.

I was thinking something small that has pc compatibility. And probably one with an external microphone and ear piece jack. Is a voice activated model good, or should I go with one that I would just push record every time I get out of the car?

Thanks guys, and gals!

[PhilipCal]

Tape Recorders

Before you invest any money in a tape recorder, check the laws in your state or jurisdiction. If you intend to record conversations, this could end up being very important. In some states, you are required to give notice you are intending to record. In other states, no such notice is required. Should you violate the law relative to giving notice, (if required), you could be in pretty deep doo-doo.

[Guams]

If I remember correctly, only one person, in Wisconsin, has to consent for the recording to be legal.

While searching for anything regarding the legality of it... I came across this: http://www.doj.wi.gov/dles/tns/elecr...orkshopQ&A.pdf

Q: Must traffic stops be recorded?
A: There is no requirement to record traffic stops. However, officers may record traffic stops at their discretion.

[PhilipCal]

Okay, make certain of that and you're good to go. Stay safe!!

[Fuzz]

I use a Sony Digital Recorder ICD-P320 ---- http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-...oductDetail.do

Not the best on the market, but affordable and works great for me. It fits in my shirt pocket and I do not need an external microphone. It downloads to PC via USB and stores up to 32 hours at a time. I will record several days stops then download to my PC. If you want an external mic there is a mic and a headphone jack built in.


Wisconsin information

The statute requires a reasonable expectation of privacy for oral communications. To be protected, an oral communication must be uttered by a person exhibiting an expectation that the communication is not subject to interception, under circumstances that justify that expectation.

Consent
Wisconsin is a one-party consent state: It is legal for a person to intercept communication when the person is a party to the communication or when one of the parties to the communication has given prior consent to the interception, unless the communication is intercepted for the purpose of committing a crime, tort or other injurious act. What constitutes an "injurious act" must be determined on a case-by-case basis.
In Desnick v. ABC, a federal court ruled that the ABC news program "PrimeTime Live" did not violate Wisconsin's eavesdropping statute when it sent people equipped with concealed cameras and posing as patients to the Desnick Eye Center to record their examinations and expose allegedly fraudulent practices. The court ruled that the surveillance was not done in order to commit a crime or tort, even though the Eye Center later sued ABC for defamation. The court also ruled that the surveillance was not done for the purpose of committing an "injurious act" under the statute because "telling the world the truth about a Medicare fraud is hardly what the framers of the statute could have had in mind" in forbidding a person to record his own conversations in order to commit an "injurious act."

[Guams]

Thanks for the info Fuzz! I was looking at a recorder made by Olympus that runs about $60 I think.

[LBomb]

In Pa. it is illegal to record anyone without their knowledge.