It looks to me like this thread, starting about the 2nd page of posts, started getting 'into the weeds of legal wrangling.'
In dealing with legal issues, I always am concerned with probabilities and cost. I guess because I was schooled as an Engineer and CPA. Have worked for large public companies, small public companies and private companies. Dealt with litigation - state, SEC, Texas workers comp medical insurance laws, medical malpractice lawsuits, truck accident settlements, mediation, IRS issues, patent litigation, business contract law with Indian nations, Louisiana law, Puerto Rico law, German law, bankruptcy law, US and European venture capital and tax law. In those corporate situations you can take cost and legal planning and litigation planning on a fairly clinical nature - not my money or personal finance at risk - so you look at how much would it cost to avoid, probability if you go this path or another with different potential legal costs and perhaps settlements or royalty costs, tax penalties, jurisdiction preferences and prejudices.
Here we are talking about our personal unalienable rights as spelled out by our founders in the Constitution and its Bill of Rights. And the present day interpretation and court leanings - pro cops, pro citizen, anti gun nut, etc. So using recorders to protect yourself against dishonesty by cops, prosecutors, DAs looking to build a reputation, etc - pretty cheap insurance for normal everyday routine behavior. Using your god-given brain I think you should be cognizant of what improves your odds and defense; what would be asking for trouble - OC of long guns by schools, playgrounds, etc. If you choose to go a more aggressive path, would think you w/b wise to have other folks taping things, additional cost effective ways to support your case - hire an attorney or retired cop to observe, and then budget how much money you plan to spend on legal representation to justify your objective (would think you'd work this plan out with a gun savvy attorney BEFORE you act - much cheaper to pay up front in planning path). Working with lawyers is going t/b a costly proposition - that's how they make their living, so just be wise in choosing your battle, as opposed to being a hot-head and blundering in to situations where you'll have to fold unless you've got money to burn, lots of it, or hope there is a miracle and you find a GOOD lawyer that works cheap or does some pro bono.
So at the end of the day - don't take stupid risks if you can't afford them. Take calculated ones.
