Well, all searches by the police are subject to the fourth amendment. No search can be made without probable cause - with a few exceptions. If a police officer has probable cause to search a house or building, he must get a search warrant. A search warrant isn't required to search a vehicle or person in most circumstances as long as the officer has probable cause. If a police officer has probable cause he doesn't need permission to search.
Note: If a police officer has probable cause he will not ask for permission to search - he will just search.
BUT if a police officer has a suspicion that falls short of probable cause, the rule is that he cannot search (with one exception I will go into later) without permission. If a police officer asks you "do you have any weapons or drugs on you?" and you say...."no I don't"...the next question will likely be "do you mind if I check you". Most people will say "yeah no problem". If you do that, you have just waived your 4th amendment right and gave them permission to search you. If you turn around and put your hands up as if to say "go ahead" without saying a word, you have given implied consent.
You have an absolute right to say no. Officers who are not knowledgeable may respond to a "no" by asking..."do you have something to hide?" I say they are not knowledgeable because knowledgeable officers will know that once a person says "no", they have invoked their 4th amendment right and all attempts must stop. Officers that continue to pressure people into consenting risk losing any evidence they find due to coercion. In other words, no means no.
The exception to the probable cause requirement is a limited search of a person authorized under the Supreme Court case Terry vs Ohio. In the Terry case the court broke the officer/violator contact into two parts. The stop and the frisk - or pat down. The stop occurs when an officer has Reasonable suspicion. Reasonable suspicion is an amount of evidence a police officer can articulate that justifies a suspicion that a person may be involved in the commission of a crime and the officer can detain the person. If an officer can justify a reasonable suspicion that the person in question is armed, the officer has the authority to pat down the outer garments of the person feeling for weapons. The officer may NOT reach into pockets. The officer may search in waist bands. The search is limited to a pat down of the outer garments only. If the officer has the right to pat a person down under Terry vs Ohio, the person may not resist the pat down.
While a police officer has the right to have you step out of your vehicle during a traffic stop, he does not have the right to pat you down without a reasonable suspicion that you are armed. Reaching into your pockets or your wasteband or having drugs in your possession are all indicators that you may be armed and are a bad idea when having contact with a police officer. It is all to common to watch Cops and see them ask people to get out of a car and say...."go ahead and put your hands on the hood, I'm gonna pat you down and make sure you don't have any weapons" and they proceed to pat down a person who isn't under arrest and hasn't been detained for anything other than maybe a domestic dispute of a theft. Neither of those things would justify patting a person down for weapons. This is a blatant violation for the fourth amendment. People better start learning what their rights are instead of continually giving them away.
New Posts to fall below.
another aspect that you failed to mention is DONT BREAK THE LAW! we all clearly know what you are trying to do here. its funny in a sense. then again, maybe you dont understand that part. officers are not psychic. they rely on physcial clues to a persons guilt or innocence - maybe a facial expression, changes in body posture or voice inflection, or his partner saying 'this person has drugs!'
ReplyDeletealthough being pulled over by an officer can be embarassing, intimidating, and downright inconvenient, comply with his requests and you will have no problems. police can be some of the more friendly people you encounter on your day. besides, its their job to check on you for a violation that YOU committed (cant pull you over for just anything!).
some people argue, "they should be out fighting REAL crime!" if you havent noticed, most real crime is linked to smaller crimes. we read time and time again that "20 tons of marijuana found after traffic stop." "crack found on mr jack jackson after routine stop." or "prescrition pills found after DUI pullover". (what seems like) a majority of drug arrests are made after a traffic stop.
The major problem is that most cops are not honest and trustworthy and do not possess integrity and therefore they are LIARS.
ReplyDeleteThe major problem is that most cops are not honest and trustworthy and do not possess integrity and therefore they are LIARS.
ReplyDeleteThat in a nut shell. Just beacause you wear a uniform, it does not make you better than anyone else. You should still follow the same rules. You can abide by the law @9:02 and still get your civil rights stomped on. You should wake up and join the real world.
(cant pull you over for just anything!).
ReplyDeleteUmm, actually they have ways to pull you over whether you were obeying traffic laws. Ever had someone pull you for a "dim tag light"? I have 3 times. Or a "cracked tail light" or even "you were swerving". Cops can make up any excuse they want to pull you over and they will.
9:02 you are an idiot. All the cops care about is generating revenue for the state / town. That's how they get promoted. Everyone knows where the trouble spots are in their towns and most know to stay out of them. That is where LE should spend the majority of their efforts, not along some stretch of highway handing out tickets to working moms and dads who are just trying to get through the day and take care of their families. As for searches, never ever let a cop search you, your wehicle or your home without a warrant specifically stating what they are searching for. Anything else they may find is inadmissable in court. And that part of the miranda warning where it says anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Well trust me, it will be used against you. If a cop stops you for whatever reason, you do not have to answer anything other than your name. Cops lie all the time. My advice is if you are a law abiding citizen and you think a cop is overstepping the line remind him his career could be at stake, every department has an internal affairs office that handles citizen complaints, that officer gets enough complaints filed against him eventually the local authorities will have to take action or risk one hell of a lawsuit. I suggest you write a letter to their Internal affairs unit so it is documented and put in their case files for future reference, keep a copy for yourself. If the cop is intent on charging you with a crime say nothing more than I want an attorney. Hash it out later. Do not listen to their threats or promises. such as "We'll go easy if you co operate" f them! total bs. I know too many damn cops with attitudes and think they can run rough shod over the public.
ReplyDeleteI had a trooper stop me recently and he was the most unprofessional LE I have ever had the pleasure to encounter, a real stain on the SP. Only difference between him and God is God doesnt' think he's a trooper for the SP. All I can say is what goes around comes around. time for citizen review boards for all LE departments in the state. They work for us! To many bad cops get bounced from a department only to end up somewhere else preying on the public. Time for a national data base listing these scumbags!
I was stopped for speeding in a Queen Anne Co. town, coming home from a job. It was night and I was lost. The officer's first statement was that I was speeding, his second statement was "where are you coming from". What does that have to do with speeding?
ReplyDelete9:02,
ReplyDeleteEasy to say, but what if you are pulled over twice a week for b.s reasons? And yes, no seat belt is a bs reason, unsafe lane changes, your taillight is out, etc, etc--you can make up all kinds of reasons to stop someone, but bottom line is you got pulled over for being black. If you can't acknowledge that this happens every single day, then it isn't worth continuing the discussion. It happens, it isn't right, and if it happened to you 6 times in a month, you would start to get pretty darn upset. Imagine if it were your child who got pulled over repeatedly, frisked, questioned, and had a dog go through their car. You think you would be ok with that? Really, honestly think of that, and how that would affect you.
9:14 You are right. I know so many people pulled over for a dim tag light. Really, is that where the police want to go? Pulling people over for that is a complete joke and says a lot about the officer using that tactic.
ReplyDeleteI was stopped on nanticoke road for speeding.
ReplyDeleteThe officer told me that I didn't slow down until I saw him. Duh , what was I suppose to do , speed up!
If more people exercised their rights like Alexis did, then maybe we'd see some of our civil liberties restored. He was pulled over on a pretext, he called the officer on his BS, and now he's in jail. The officer who violated the law, not Alexis, should be in jail.
ReplyDelete9:02 - I appreciate your comment,but see it here as an excercise in futility.A tiny percent of those reading this post have ever been police officers,so they don't understand what life is like on the other side.I appreciate this blog and read it every day.However,simply because each and every one of us have the right to comment does not make us right.A police officer can ony do what they think is right in any given circumstance.That means they make some good choices and some bad,just like in any other occupation.
ReplyDeleteI have lived many places in my life but I have never seen such a systematic abuse of civil rights as occurs in Ocean City. I have personally observed civil rights violations committed by OCPD that would just blow your mind.
ReplyDeleteYes, 9:58, police officers make some bad choices and some good choices. But when a police officer makes a bad choice, it can mean that an innocent person is killed, an innocent person is deprived of his liberty, an innocent person is beat up, etc. The police have the power of the government behind them; they can get away with a level of violence that ordinary citizens can't. Their mistakes have serious ramifications.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's rare to ever hear any police officer admit (in public) that he or any other officer ever makes a mistake. When they do, there always seems to be a story concocted, a closing of the ranks, a mysterious erasure of any video evidence, etc.
So, yes, those of us who aren't cops don't know what it's like on the "other side." We do know, however, what those on the "other side" do when they make mistakes.
@9:58,
ReplyDeleteThat is just unacceptable when you give police officers the power they have. There should never be a question on if the stuck to the letter of the law or not it is what they enforce so do it correctly or else you are just as bad as those who break it.
I will agree with 9:02 on ONE point. DON"T BREAK THE LAW! Now on the other hand, the LE community has to understand that as officers of "the law", you should be held to higher standards. Frequently, officers overstep their bounds. Not all officers are bad, but the ones that are tarnish the reputation of the good ones. Perhaps some internal policing of you fellow officers might help you get a better response. In addionition, LEO's should OBEY the laws WE pay them to enforce such as drinking and driving and speeding. I have been to officer held parties and watched many officers drive away drunk, so don't think it doesn't happen.
ReplyDelete@10: 14 could not have said it any more clear. The boys in blue always look out for each other and we all know that whether you are deaf, blind, or just plain dumb.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteI have lived many places in my life but I have never seen such a systematic abuse of civil rights as occurs in Ocean City. I have personally observed civil rights violations committed by OCPD that would just blow your mind.
February 8, 2012 10:09 AM
I totally agree with this post. I have heard OC's officers LIE (even at court) and from what I have heard, many officers they hire during the summer are in their early 20's and are young & dumb punks who are comparable to 4 month interns.
I have met some decent OC cops, but overall their police force is not very reputable whatsoever.
I need to take a moment and chime in here. Look, there is NO WAY I believe "most" police officers are crooked, as some have suggested in this Post and others. Come on now, that's a ridiculous statement.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are some officers who were taught one thing in the academy and had to relearn the same law a different way once they started working for a particular department.
There are just too many officers who feel that IF they are challenged in court, oh well, so the officer lost, at least they can go home that evening.
Then you hear a lot of talk about being a cop is the most dangerous job in America, not true, but I understand and respect that statement. However, the fact that some officers knowingly and willingly violate our rights as citizens, the fact that they will come on here and threaten me simply for either challenging them or publishing facts, such as this particular Post, that's just wrong. Agree to disagree with me. State the facts as you know them but do NOT sit there and threaten me, as if I'm supposed to worry every time I get behind the wheel of a car or that I have to worry about my Wife because some officers will target us as "the bad guys". We're NOT bad guys when we're publishing all of the things the Police want us to publish. We're not bad guys when we create a Crime Solvers Website and maintain it for FREE for years. Are you getting me Officers?
What I have published about Alex Guerrero is facts. Because I challenge those facts as published in a Press Release IS MY RIGHT as an American. So some of you want to abuse your powers and threaten me, (I better watch my back) kind of crap and imply I dislike poplice officers is just a load of crap.
I do NOT believe Alex Guerrero deserved preferential treatment. However, I do believe he should have been RESPECTED. I do believe he was targeted. Thge WCSO own press released called it a DRUG INVESTIGATION, yet Alex Guerrero pisses into a cup and whole LOT more than ANY police officer I know. He's a professional boxer who is REQUIRED to do so. There's been a LOT of talk about 5 cars being on the scene. Are you telling me NONE of them know who Alex is and what he's required to do, yet even AFTER the WCSO had time to publish a Press Release they still called it a DRUG INVESTIGATION!
Get pissed off at me all you want. I see abuse here and I don't like it. I have witnessed this kind of abuse in the past and was even the key witness. When I was called by the states attorneys office to testify, I told the states attorney EXACTLY what I saw, a police officer abusing a citizen, PERIOD. The states attorney told me, "We won't be needing you today Mr. Albero". The suspect who sat in jail for many months was immediately released, I stayed in court that day anyway.
So yes, there are a few. Yes, there are some that abuse their powers. However, MOST, especially veterans, know and respect the laws and duty they were hired to protect and serve. I do NOT see the problems and issues like you might see in PG County's law enforcement. I'm simply calling BS on this one and that's all. A day later I still strongly believe this is a case of DWB.
By the way Officers, (some of you) at least I have the balls to publish my name to my comments and not hide behind anonymous.
More transferring of guilt.
ReplyDeleteI looked at this amateur boxers criminal record.
ReplyDeleteHe was convicted for speeding on 13 - 7 miles over the speed limit? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Then every other time he has a traffic violation its bullcrude charges.
Failure to display Lic.
Failure to display registration.
What cop pulls someone over going 42 in a 35? A cop profiling!
That's who.
The only real traffic was 72 in a 55! OH NO he was going 72 on RT 50! Who doesn't!?!?!?!
PROFILING! PROFILING! PROFILING!
I'm pretty sure you'll be getting the names of some officers posting on here very soon Joe. Just not the way you think. You crossed the line this time buddy. Should have just kept your fucking big mouth shut. You get what you give.
ReplyDeleteThey know who this kid is, this is the Eastern Shore. They were looking for a big time bust to help re-elect Sheriff Lewis. If you honestly believe this is fair treatment, then good luck the next time you are stopped. Hope your civil rights are never stomped on since you clearly wouldn't know it.
ReplyDelete@ 10:53
ReplyDeleteLol you police officers are sooooooooooooooo funny. We are on here talking about how much you disrespect citizens and destroy their rights and then you threaten a civilian publically. Too funny. On a blog with as much traffic as this none the less. Get a life.
10:53 lmao, wow, can any one say intimidation? typical napolean mentality! Joe, any of those buttheads bother you or your family ask for a civilian jury and we'll send them packing. Then you can turn around and sue the department / city / county/ state and the officer as an individual. break them all financially. Maybe you need to install one of those audio video recording devices in your car. Just in case theirs malfunctions! 10:53 is the reason the public doesn't trust the police! and don't worry 10:53, as a former marine I won't be calling you to come help me or my family!
ReplyDeleteA good, informative post. The catch, and its a BIG one, is this -- "probable cause" is whatever (and I MEAN whatever) the cop SAYS it is, i.e. "I smelled marijuana" or "the subject acted very nervous", or "he seemed to hide 'something'", etc. The States Attorney and the judges will back the officer, even if there is no pot found, and the "subject" was found NOT to be drunk, hiding anything or having any marijuana. And yes, it is true (as told to me by the cops in my family), that if an officer wants to pull you over, he can say ANYTHING --- you touched the yellow line, you changed lanes without a signal, you were doing 56 in a 55, no seat belt, you were swerving IN THE LANE, speeding (he doesn't have to show you or the court a radar reading) etc -- whatever he wants to make up. And he WILL be considered right and unquestioned, no matter what the final outcome, as in you getting shot, beat up, or arrested for "resisting" (because you pissed him off by questioning his actions. Happens EVERY DAY. Back in the day, cops were respected and liked. Their behavior and heavy handed tactics against the people they profess to "protect and serve" (many, many working men and women who now must pay into the state's kitty for seat belt violations and other petty crap so that Joe Cop gets his quota and a promotion) have alienated them from the rest of us who they consider beneath them. And if that was a cop who just threatened you, turn his IP address over to the States Attorney. Of course, nothing will happen, but do it just to prove who they REALLY serve. And lastly, just so everyone knows, many of the so-called "traffic stops" that result in drug busts are NOT the result of traffic violations, but the result of informers. The traffic stop is used to cover the informer or undercover office who set them up. THAT'S why so many "broken tailight" and "speeding" stops find drugs. Maybe if you cops started walking the beat and went back to knowing your neighbors and community, your reputation would improve. But that might mean taking a few ass-whippings and a huge drop in revenue and actual crime. Can't have THAT, can we????
ReplyDelete"The major problem is that most cops are not honest and trustworthy and do not possess integrity and therefore they are LIAR."
ReplyDelete9:04 amd 9:12, do you really believe that? Then maybe you haven't always been on the right side of the law. I am in my late 60's, and I have NEVER encountered an officer of the law that would fit your description. If you had said "a few" rather than "most" cops, I could accept that, because every group has sone of the type you describe. Policemen just don't stop you for nothing. If they suspect something but are wrong, then they'll send you on your merry way.
@ 11: 40
ReplyDeleteI have been pulled over multiple times for having just a dim tag light, and searched multiple times too. Never once have I been arrested, you know why? It is because I am not doing anything wrong. I can only speak from my experiences with the police and I can tell you even though I have always been respectful and courteous I have never had a "good" run in with a decent police officer.
@11:45
ReplyDeleteI have been pulled over many times for many reason and have always been respectful. While many of the officers acted fair and respectful, many did not and acted cocky, rude and as though they possessed the powers of God.
Most of them were in their early 20's who although they are cops, they are also ignorant and disrespectful PUNKS.
Rights are an illusion. When you are put in a position that is violating your rights you have two choices, allow it or fight. Both ways it will cost you money.
ReplyDelete@1145am
ReplyDeleteyou think you wouldve fixed that by now. but im sure the blame lays with everyone else.
9:33 - While you may not like the seatbelt law, it is not a BS stop. It is a bonafide violation of the law! If you don't want to be stopped for that petty reason - BUCKLE UP! A pervert probably doesn't see the issue with molestation, but it doesn't make laws against it any less significant.... Sometimes laws are made to save people (who are too stupid to restrain themselves or wear a REAL helmet) from themselves! And don't argue that its only the non-wearer who gets hurt. We all pay the price for folks who are catastophically injured via elevated insurance premiums, disability payments, etc! And that's for the ones who ARE insured.... what about those who aren't?
ReplyDeleteI can't argue the dim tag light excuse - it either works or it doesn't. No middle ground there.
12:11 Dim tag light, repair order was issued. I am telling you they do whatever they want to pull people over. They will use any excuse possible. It isn't a coincedence that so many people are saying the same thing.
ReplyDelete@ 12: 10
ReplyDeleteI did, once in someone else's car. Once in my car, fixed it, and was pulled again in the same car. It is just an excuse. These were months and years apart. I bet if you ask one of your friends who is a cop off the record they will tell you they use BS excuses all the time.
You forgot to mention that whites have no civil rights. When you give special right to some you take from others. And I agree with the person who said don't commit the crime.
ReplyDeleteI think Imclaim is correct and the cops need to be out in the streets doing investigations instead of stopping cars hoping to get the big one. I read the link Joe posted about Sheriff Lewis and all his Rt 13 stops but in reality how many of those drugs were destined for our streets? It's all well and good but how about policing our own neighborhoods instead of the troopers hanging along the highway catching drug runner from out of state.
ReplyDeleteI was pulled over for a back taillight out two days after my car was inspected. I stopped and the cop checked my license and registration and let me go with a warning. I was 5 houses down from my destination and when I pulled in the cop followed me there to and said my taillight came back on. The owner of the house said that cop was pulling cars over all night. So yeah, they pull you over for no reason but I had nothing to hide so I didn't get all upset like some of you.
ReplyDeletenext time a cop says your tag light is out, get out of the car and look for yourself. call his bluff!
ReplyDeleteI work with a police officers wife, she has literally told me that cops have designated terms to use when pulling someone over that is a general way of just being able to stop someone to see what is going on. Tag lights are one, crossing the line is another. swerving within your own lane, also any small signal failure. These everyday things that might seem rather useless to you, me, and most cops are there as a fallback for them pulling you over.
ReplyDeleteWasn't the landfill truck stopped for a mud flap that was too short? That stop was made by Sheriff Lewis himself and led to the landfill corruption investigation. So, as you can see, the obscure laws pay off.
ReplyDeleteLewis was tipped off. He was waiting for that truck.
ReplyDelete2:36 my friend who was stopped because her tail light was out (and miraculously fixed itself by the time she got home) did say to the officer "oh you are kidding" and started to get out of her SUV to look and he said for her to remain in the vehicle unless he tells her otherwise.
ReplyDelete@3:40
ReplyDeleteLOL this is what I mean by wake up. The perfect example. You think that Mike Lewis just randomly pulled over this truck because he could eyeball that the mud flaps were not big enough? The guy had inside information or was tipped off about something and made up a useless excuse to pull the driver over. It is what cops do. They have been doing it for years. If you think that he just stumbled upon an investigation your a clueless individual.
You're damned right he was tipped off! He lied about it then and he'll lie about it now. He wanted to stop the vehicle under the Carrol Doctrine but he couldn't testify to the reliability of the iinformant since the informant had never given him any information before. He waited for the call and found something that he could say he thought was a violation. He has no credibility among his peers or among his subordinates. We should have a vote of no confidence on him.
ReplyDeleteWhen Ernie Leatherbury runs against him he won't think he is so high and mighty. Ernie will beat him like Obama beat McCain. I new it wouldn't be long till his racial profiling started showing up here on our streets.
ReplyDeleteYea, your never allowed out of the car unless the cops tells you to step out. Which is why it is so covienient for cops to say, your tail light is cracked or your tag light is dim. The only way you can check is if they let you.
ReplyDelete4:10 thats right. If you try to get out of your vehicle without being told you can, you become an uncooperative threat to the police. Don't think calling their bluff is worth being tasered and arrested.
ReplyDeleteI got pulled over for a tail light out about a year ago. I was also speeding (but this was never mentioned by the officer).
ReplyDeleteWhen he approached, it was obvious that the officer was looking for drunk drivers. He realized that I hadn't been drinking, and after that his tone was very nice. I checked the tail light on the spot, and he was right - it was out!
Net of the situation, I had a light out and didn't know it. The officer told me about the problem, and wrote a repair order. Fair enough.
Was it a "BS" pullover? Probably. But I wouldn't have realized the problem until the next time I had my car serviced and the shop did a light check. And to be honest, they would probably skip over it to get me out the bay faster.
Only once did an officer ask to search my car. I asked him what was his probable cause to do the search. He replied that it was "for his safety." I apologized that my actions might have made him feel that way (I knew it was BS), and told him that I would expect him to get a warrant for said search. The request ended right there, without incident. But I did get a speeding ticket, and I was, in fact, speeding.
By all means, be polite to the officer who is just doing their job. The nice officers will respect your courtesy and return it, in kind. The adrenaline junkies with trigger fingers will be disarmed with kindness. The A-hole cops who are out to ruin everybody's day will probably get out of your hair earlier, so they can ruin yet another person's day.
If you feel that they are acting out of line, then politely push back by letting them know that you are informed of your rights. If it gets out of hand, lawyer up. As soon as you say the "L" word, the game changes significantly. If you are especially paranoid, pay the $30/mo for Legal Shield so that you can speak with a lawyer right there on the side of the road.
The vast majority of people will never have to go past response 1 - be nice. If it gets out of hand, I'm truely sorry. Sometimes your number comes up and bad things happen. Just be careful not to push a questionable officer over the edge.
10:09 and 10:23 are right about the violations in Ocean City.
ReplyDeleteLocal cops get no money from traffic, or criminal fines. None. Not one dime.
ReplyDeleteNo one is checking on the rooster so the hens are running wild.
ReplyDeleteJust saying
All the cops care about is generating revenue for the state / town. That's how they get promoted. Everyone knows where the trouble spots are in their towns and most know to stay out of them. That is where LE should spend the majority of their efforts, not along some stretch of highway handing out tickets to working moms and dads who are just trying to get through the day and take care of their families. As for searches, never ever let a cop search you, your wehicle or your home without a warrant specifically stating what they are searching for. Anything else they may find is inadmissable in court. And that part of the miranda warning where it says anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Well trust me, it will be used against you. If a cop stops you for whatever reason, you do not have to answer anything other than your name. Cops lie all the time. My advice is if you are a law abiding citizen and you think a cop is overstepping the line remind him his career could be at stake, every department has an internal affairs office that handles citizen complaints, that officer gets enough complaints filed against him eventually the local authorities will have to take action or risk one hell of a lawsuit. I suggest you write a letter to their Internal affairs unit so it is documented and put in their case files for future reference, keep a copy for yourself. If the cop is intent on charging you with a crime say nothing more than I want an attorney. Hash it out later. Do not listen to their threats or promises. such as "We'll go easy if you co operate" f them! total bs. I know too many damn cops with attitudes and think they can run rough shod over the public.
ReplyDeleteI had a trooper stop me recently and he was the most unprofessional LE I have ever had the pleasure to encounter, a real stain on the SP. Only difference between him and God is God doesnt' think he's a trooper for the SP. All I can say is what goes around comes around. time for citizen review boards for all LE departments in the state. They work for us! To many bad cops get bounced from a department only to end up somewhere else preying on the public. !
Local cops are the worst
ReplyDelete9:02am you are a lost cause.
ReplyDeleteThe war on drugs has been lost year after year after year. How many people have to be killed before we just say, "we lost the war."
legalize, tax, regulate. problem solved.
Easy to say, but what if you are pulled over twice a week for b.s reasons? And yes, no seat belt is a bs reason, unsafe lane changes, your taillight is out, etc, etc--you can make up all kinds of reasons to stop someone, but bottom line is you got pulled over for being black. If you can't acknowledge that this happens every single day, then it isn't worth continuing the discussion. It happens, it isn't right, and if it happened to you 6 times in a month, you would start to get pretty darn upset. Imagine if it were your child who got pulled over repeatedly, frisked, questioned, and had a dog go through their car. You think you would be ok with that? Really, honestly think of that, and how that would affect you.
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding? He was tipped off about the landfill truck? Didn't he smell the odor of diesel fuel and that is what led him to search the truck?
ReplyDeleteEverything the police do in cases like this is constitutional, as interpreted by the Supreme Court. This is our American system of checks and balances. You, as an American, can talk to your elected officials, and try to get laws passed that you want.If they pass muster in the court, and are found to be Constitutional, they are OK. Or you are free to run for office, and propose new laws in the assembly.
ReplyDeletePat downs for weapons in certain circumstances are legal, as confirmed by the courts. K9's smelling a car is legal, and is not a search, as confirmed by the very liberal Supreme Court.
This is how America works. You can do your best to change laws, or stop complaining because you have gotten arrested in the past, or think drugs should be legal.
The cops enforce the laws your representatives put on the books.
They talk about seat belts,lets talk about them driving 100 mph down Rt. 50 or Rt. 313 just because they can. Riding up on your bumper until you pull over so they can pass. Innocent people are killed because of their stupidity but thats ok. You never hear what happens to the officers that are the cause of a fatal accident due to their poor judgement. Does anything? Lets slow down guys-gas is expensive and our lives are worth more than you out seeing how may people you can intimidate. You want to talk about to stupid to wear seatbelts. lets talk about to stupid to use common sense. I know this issue has been addressed on here before. Guess the right people didn't read the blogs that day. Slow down! We all know that people have died because of recklessness on the part of police.
ReplyDeletewar on drugs? what a joke. If they really wanted to win the war on drugs make the punishment such that no one would ever touch the stuff. See they don't want to win the war, they want to make it look like they are winning the war. Do you realize how many people are making money off this so called war? cops lawyers judges parole officers prison guards. There's a whole industry employing people. If the drugs are legalized or the war is won what will they then do?
ReplyDelete@5:22 AM
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY. They call it a war on drugs, but then once they catch those who are dealing drugs they are slapped on the wrist and tossed back into society. If you really want to win the war on drugs start locking people up. Stoppping people and harrassing them isnt going to accomplish much but pissing off a community, as you can see here. Its an excuse to over police people and try to create more revenue for the department, do not be fooled.
9:49 you are a jok, there are already way to many laws on the books which aren't being enforced. so adding more will change all that. how about the cops focus on real crime? the violent criminals, the ones stealing, robbing, assualts etc and get off rt. 50 and out of their cars and actually walk a beat? oh no, that would mean actually earn a paycheck? instead of generating revenue?
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many of the commentors have ever been pulled for a "BS" charge and then searched? I bet it is less then 10 on the commenting boards. Until you are a victim of something like this you never understand how it does affect you. It really makes you realize just how much power you have in those situations. No matter what the police are right, or they will make it look that way. No one really understands their civil rights because we don't have civil rights anymore. Cops can do whatever they want and no one is there to back up the people, unless you hire a lawyer which will be expensive. The whole system is flawed. Cops should not be regulating other cops. Thats like allowing MLB players to regulate other MLB players for steroids, it just doesn't make a bit of sense. Of course Alexis was charged with resisting arrest, I wouldn't want to be arrested for no reason either. I really do not think the Sheriffs office knew who they were dealing with until the situation was out of control and now they have to answer questions.
ReplyDeleteDo cops even know what a beat is anymore? Other than "beat" on civilians who they deem to be drug dealers, even though they are with their kids and family. Oh and there were no drugs at all. Funny story this is. If this guy was white, the community would be in an uprage but he probably wouldn't have been put through this scrutiny. Anyway, I am sure there will be more to come from this story.
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