Photojournalist Mannie Garcia, known best for his famous portrait of former President Obama, has finally succeeded in winning a $45,000 settlement for his unlawful arrest by Montgomery County police in Maryland in 2011.
The US Department of Justice issued a statement this past Sunday that confirms the fact that the 1st, 4th, and 14th Amendment protect citizens' rights to photograph police in public places.
When photographer Mannie Garcia -- known best, perhaps, for his iconic photograph of President Obama -- was arrested for disorderly conduct while recording Maryland police officers performing an arrest, he didn't realize that it would mean the loss of his White House credentials. And although he was eventually acquitted and given back his camera (with the memory card missing), the damage had already been done and Garcia is looking to hold someone accountable.