CHICAGO | The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois is suing the state for charging citizens for breaking an eavesdropping law. It says the prosecutions violate the First Amendment.
The ACLU said in a news release Thursday that several people in Illinois have been charged for making audio recordings of public conversations with police.
The group says recordings are a way for individuals and organizations to share information about the police with the public — a First Amendment right.
The ACLU has filed the suit against Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez for enforcing the law.
Alvarez's office said Friday it had no comment.
Illinois is one of a few states where it is illegal to record public conversations. In Massachusetts and Oregon, for example, it is against the law to secretly record public conversation.
