FAQ

Is it legal to film police?

Yes. There are slight differences from State to State, yet the fundamental right to film police in the public performance of their duties remains the same. This issue has been settled by numerous court rulings over the years, such as Glik v. Cunniffe, Smith v. Cummings, ACLU v. Alvarez, Carla Gericke v. Gregory C. Begin et al. and several others. Additionally the U.S. Department of Justice has issued strongly worded opinions in support of the right to record police officers while they are in the public performance of their duties.

As long as the police are in public and you are not interfering with their activities, you can record them. If the police in question are interacting with you, then you can also record them. Just as the police have the right to record their interactions with the public using dashcams and lapel cams, you have the right to record them.

Since we're not attorneys, here's the required disclaimer: The information on this profile page is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice.

Can I use Sidekik for something other than a traffic stop?

Absolutely. Sidekik can be used for situations ranging from encounters with law enforcement to Child Protective Services, regardless of whether you're in your vehicle, your house, or standing on a sidewalk.

Can I use Sidekik anywhere in the United States?

Yes. The attorney network will be composed of licensed attorneys in every state, with enough attorneys that every use of the video call feature in every state will be answered promptly.

What if my smartphone's connection drops while I'm using Sidekik?

If your carrier, for example Verizon, has an interruption of service, then Sidekik will automatically connect with any other available carrier such as Sprint or AT&T. In the extremely rare instance in which there is no available service with any carrier, then the attorney video call will be unavailable. However, Sidekik will still activate your smartphone's audio/video recording and store to your smartphone's onboard memory, unless you have a bluetooth-enabled storage device in your vehicle or on your person, in which case the data will be stored on said device. The chances of there being no coverage from any mobile service provider is extremely low.

Does my subscription fee cover the cost of attorney representation through Sidekik?

Yes. There is no additional cost to you for receiving representation through the Sidekik attorney network. When you have need of legal representation, just activate Sidekik and let your attorney do the talking. There is no charge aside from your subscription fee.

Why would an attorney take my call without being paid?

Attorneys pay anywhere from $50 - $200 for a single client lead. A client lead is someone who has entered some basic information on a legal lead generation website and asked to be contacted. The quality of the leads varies greatly but is still an effective means by which an attorney can increase their client base. When viewed from this perspective, Sidekik is a lead generation goldmine for attorneys. The vast majority of calls an attorney takes through Sidekik will be people who actively need legal representation at the time of the call, making each call a lead of the highest quality for an attorney. When Sidekik is released, it will be one of the best means by which an attorney can build their client base and construct lawsuits. Charging for taking calls would alienate potential clients and be prohibitive, effectively negating the lead generation business model, which is why attorneys do not charge for the initial video call and representation.

Will the attorneys work for Sidekik? Is Sidekik a law firm?

The attorneys will not be employed by Sidekik and Sidekik is not a law firm, just as AAA is not a tow truck company. Sidekik will serve as the means by which individuals needing legal representation and attorneys needing clients can be connected, in real-time. 

Will Sidekik be able to help stop the encroaching police state?

Sidekik deals with the issue of the police state on two levels: individually and communally. Individually, using Sidekik can help prevent you from having your rights violated during encounters with agents of the State by providing the means by which an attorney can represent you and defend your rights during the encounter, while at the same time acting as a de-escalating force in the situation.

On a communal level, the combined use of Sidekik by the public will bring to bear the only tool which has proven to alter the behavior of the police; money. A good example is that of Maywood, California. In early June of 2010 the City of Maywood was informed by their insurance carrier that their coverage was being canceled. The cancellation notice cited several reasons, but primarily it was due to the high number of claims filed against the police department. From the insurer's point of view, continuing to cover the city and pay claims settlements was too risky. The city tried finding another insurer but due to the high number of claims, no insurance company would provide coverage. As Councilman Felipe Aguirre said, "Nobody will insure us, not as long as we have the police department." Since cities require insurance to legally operate, and no one would provide coverage given the number claims against the police, the entire 60 member department was disbanded on June 30th, 2010.

Sidekik will streamline the formation of lawsuits against police departments by ensuring that evidence of rights violations is preserved and by providing a steady flow of attorneys willing to file lawsuits based on that evidence. In short, when the use of Sidekik becomes widespread, police departments will have two choices: change the way they do business or go out of business.

How will you ensure that my activation of the Sidekik app results in an attorney answering every time?

Upon activation and request for legal representation, the Sidekik system will call a number of attorneys on the Sidekik network who are nearest to you in the legal jurisdiction from which you activate the app. Whichever attorney answers first will represent you. If no attorneys take the call within a couple seconds then the system will contact the next group of attorneys by distance within your State and so on. Somewhere in the State where you are located an attorney will take your video call in a matter of seconds.

What if I already have an attorney and want him/her to represent me when using Sidekik?

Each subscriber will have the option of listing as many particular attorneys as they want and in whichever order they want them to be contacted when the subscriber uses Sidekik.

How much will you charge for a subscription to Sidekik?

The cost is not set yet, however, based on our projections to date we predict a yearly subscription fee of $60, or $5/month.

How many uses of Sidekik will I get for my subscription?

A yearly subscription allows for 12 uses of Sidekik in that time period. Additional uses can be added with a slight increase in the subscription fee.

What if I just want to use the audio/video streaming aspect of Sidekik without attorney representation?

When you first tap the Sidekik icon on your smartphone you will be presented with two options: audio/video streaming only or audio/video streaming with legal representation. If you choose data streaming only and decide later that you want legal representation as well, there will be an icon on your screen you can tap which will initiate a video call to an attorney. If you are being legally represented and decide you only want data streaming, you can drop the video call and keep the audio/video stream uninterrupted.

What if I'm being represented by an attorney while using Sidekik but I think the attorney is doing an insufficient job?

If at any point during your legal representation you feel a different attorney is needed, you can tap an icon which will initiate another call that will connect you with a separate attorney. Your audio/video stream will be uninterrupted.

Will the Sidekik app be free to download?

Yes, the app will be free to download for both iPhone and Android.

Can I still use Sidekik if I download the app but don't pay for a subscription?

The free version of Sidekik will allow for streaming and secure storage of audio/video data. The subscription allows for connection with an attorney. We want people to be able to have access to an attorney whether they have a subscription or not, which will be accomplished by offering a pay-as-you-go option. The cost will be a higher than getting a subscription, but the app user will still have access to legal representation if they need it.

Where will Sidekik have it's office?

Sidekik is registered to do business in Nevada and has a business license in that State which is in good standing. The members of the Sidekik team are currently living in California while building the Indiegogo campaign. Once sufficient funds have been raised through Indiegogo the team will move to Reno, Nevada and establish an office and residency there.

Future Products and Services

Window clip/smartphone docking port