Topic: Court Reporter

The legal conflict began when Michael Allison attempted to document police interactions regarding unregistered cars on his property. After being denied a court reporter during a local ordinance hearing, Allison informed the judge he would record the proceedings himself for documentation purposes. Robinson Police subsequently confiscated his digital recorder and arrested him on five felony eavesdropping charges related to his various recordings of public officials.

Michael Allison recounts receiving a citation for a property ordinance violation in Robinson, a city where he claims he does not reside or own property. Upon visiting the Crawford County circuit clerk on January 12, 2009, to request a court reporter for his hearing, his request was denied twice. Allison held his digital recorder as a visual aid during this exchange, explicitly stating his intent to create a record for future litigation against the city and its officials.