Reardon and Amiel J. Julius L. Luke Largess and Cheyenne N. Chambers, for Amici Curiae. Guilford County, Nos. Heard in the Court of Appeals 8 May Chambers , for Amici Curiae. Petitioner City of Greensboro the "City" appeals from the trial court's order denying its Motion to Modify Restrictions placed on Greensboro city council members, which allowed them to view certain recordings from body cameras "body-cams" worn by Greensboro Police Department officers, but which limited their ability to discuss the recordings in a public setting.
The City contends that the trial court's restrictions interfere with the city council members' fundamental responsibilities to their constituents and violate council members' First Amendment rights.
After careful consideration, we affirm. This case arises from a 10 September incident in downtown Greensboro, resulting in the arrest of several individuals by Greensboro police officers the "Officers". The parties to this action are the City and the Officers. Video footage of the incident was recorded by the Officers' body-cams. The City petitioned the footage be made available to members of its City council to view.
In January , the trial court entered orders the "Release Orders" allowing members of the City's governing council and certain other City officials to view the body-cam footage, but subject to a limited gag order, as follows: those City officials choosing to view the footage would not be allowed to discuss the footage except amongst themselves in the performance of their official duties.
The Release Order, though, allowed the City Attorney to seek modification of the gag order in the future. The following month, in February , the City moved to lift the gag order, to allow its officials to discuss the body-cam footage with their constituents and others.
