California law says that persons accused of a crime can obtain the footage of a dash cam video – if such video or audio was recorded. Typically, a defendant's lawyer requests the footage from the arresting department or agency. These entities normally supply a copy of the video/audio and keep the original. Please note that prosecutors have the right to use MVARS videos as evidence in criminal cases. This means that if a video or audio recording makes an accused look bad, a defendant should anticipate that a prosecutor will use the recording against him.