MichiganRadio

Dr. Dre's "Detroit Controversy" goes to Michigan Supreme Court ANN ARBOR, MI (Michigan Radio) -

This week, the Michigan Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that may determine if police officers have an expectation of privacy when they are doing their jobs.

It all started with a video.

Detroit city police and members of former Mayor Dennis Archer's staff wanted to prevent a sexually explicit video from being played at a Dr Dre concert in July 2000. A camera crew for the rapper videotaped police officers saying they would pull the plug on the concert.

Former police officer, and current Detroit City Council president pro-tem Gary Brown, is seen on the video saying "We're going to shut this show down." Eventually the video was dropped.

But the video of the police officers making their threats was put on a concert DVD. The city officials sued, claiming the DVD makers violated Michigan's anti-eavesdropping law by putting the video on the DVD without their permission.

Attorney Herschel Fink represents the DVD's producers. He says police officers have no right to privacy' when they're doing their job.

"I think the very essence of law enforcement is transparency," says Fink.

Lower courts have tended to side with the DVD producers. © Copyright 2012, Michigan Radio