BUSTED: The Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters

Chase Race · Post by **Chase Race** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 7:22 pm

One of the things I feel very strongly about is the protection of our civil liberties. This is an excellent video showing you how to maintain and exercise some of these rights. It deals with police searches in a few different situations and what you should do if you find yourself in a situation like this.

It starts out with a bit about what to do if you have weed in the car and you get pulled over. I know that will come in handy for a number (probably a large number) of folks on here, but even if you don't smoke, this video is worth your 45 minutes.

This deals with US laws so I don't know how much, if any, this applies to our non-US brothers on here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NmC5wHfCdM

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 7:55 pm

I don't think I'll ever have to worry about accidentally waiving my rights. Search my car all you want. You might find some quarters.

It really isn't very difficult. Don't break the law, you won't caught breaking the law.

Don't carry dope, you won't have to worry about getting caught carrying dope.

Dirty Sanchez · Post by **Dirty Sanchez** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:08 pm

Excellent video and excellent advice. Once you surrender your rights you open yourself to other problems, even if you don't have anything to hide. When you give up your rights, you have no rights. :thumbleft:

whipped · Post by **whipped** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:17 pm

Aaron wrote:Don't break the law, you won't caught breaking the law.

Now that shit's hilarious...

I haven't seen the video... 45 min is a bit long unless I'm really bored... Maybe tomorrow. But I think we have to throw the assumption that cops are playing by the rules out the window... My step grandpa was a cop... I asked him flat out if he ever fabricated evidence... his response was like, "Would you rather have rapists and killers go free?"

:scratch:

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:31 pm

Dirty Sanchez wrote:Excellent video and excellent advice. Once you surrender your rights you open yourself to other problems, even if you don't have anything to hide. When you give up your rights, you have no rights. :thumbleft:

I agree 100%.

whipped wrote: Now that shit's hilarious...

I haven't seen the video... 45 min is a bit long unless I'm really bored... Maybe tomorrow. But I think we have to throw the assumption that cops are playing by the rules out the window... My step grandpa was a cop... I asked him flat out if he ever fabricated evidence... his response was like, "Would you rather have rapists and killers go free?"

:scratch:

I'll give you my car the day a cop puts a joint in my car, then finds it.

Kohburn · Post by **Kohburn** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:56 pm

so how's your colon

whipped · Post by **whipped** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:59 pm

Aaron wrote: I'll give you my car the day a cop puts a joint in my car, then finds it.

I'll hold you to that.......

Formula69 · Post by **Formula69** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:59 pm

whipped wrote:
Aaron wrote: I'll give you my car the day a cop puts a joint in my car, then finds it.
I'll hold you to that.......

He'll just claim it's his joint so he doesn't have to give you the car. He gets busted either way.

Chase Race · Post by **Chase Race** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 1:30 am

Aaron wrote:I don't think I'll ever have to worry about accidentally waiving my rights.

Aaron wrote:Search my car all you want.

And right there is where you waive your rights.

Aaron wrote:Don't break the law, you won't caught breaking the law.

This "I don't have to worry because I'm not doing anything illegal" mentality leads down a dangerous path. If you're not doing anything illegal in your house then it should be just fine for the government to install cameras and watch you, right?

A thousand arguments can be made about why this would or wouldn't happen, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that one of the primary premises that this country was founded on is that government power needs to be kept in check because once it gets out of control it never does any good for the governed.

Search limits are one way of keeping the government's power in check.

Chase Race · Post by **Chase Race** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 1:37 am

Aaron wrote:I'll give you my car the day a cop puts a joint in my car, then finds it.

It won't be yours to give because it won't be a joint, it'll be whatever amount it takes to make it a felony. Then they'll "sieze" the car and keep it regardless of whether or not you're convicted. Whipped will have to buy it at the local police auction instead. The war on drugs RULES! :thumbleft:

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 2:21 am

Chase Race wrote: And right there is where you waive your rights.

True, I waive my right to unreasonable search. That's because I have nothing to hide, and if the officer's feeling is that wrong about me, it'd be nice to let him know it.

This "I don't have to worry because I'm not doing anything illegal" mentality leads down a dangerous path. If you're not doing anything illegal in your house then it should be just fine for the government to install cameras and watch you, right?

Just fine in the fact that they aren't going to find anything, yes. I would not consent to this however, that is talking things too far IMO. Now if an officer showed up for whatever reason and asked to come in, there are very few circumstances in which I'd say no.

Chase Race wrote: It won't be yours to give because it won't be a joint, it'll be whatever amount it takes to make it a felony. Then they'll "sieze" the car and keep it regardless of whether or not you're convicted. Whipped will have to buy it at the local police auction instead. The war on drugs RULES! :thumbleft:

Then I guess Whipped is SOL, unless he wants my other car :scratch:

Kohburn · Post by **Kohburn** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:03 am

whipped wrote: his response was like, "Would you rather have rapists and killers go free?"

:scratch:

problem with that these days is if he gets caught - then the guy DOES go free even if there otherwise was enough evidence to convict him - and the cop loses his job

whipped · Post by **whipped** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:35 am

Kohburn wrote: problem with that these days is if he gets caught - then the guy DOES go free even if there otherwise was enough evidence to convict him - and the cop loses his job

when was the last time you heard of a cop getting caught for evidence tampering?

Maybe they don't even play that on the news, I don't know, but I can't remember one case.

Kohburn · Post by **Kohburn** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 10:06 am

whipped wrote:
Kohburn wrote: problem with that these days is if he gets caught - then the guy DOES go free even if there otherwise was enough evidence to convict him - and the cop loses his job
when was the last time you heard of a cop getting caught for evidence tampering?

Maybe they don't even play that on the news, I don't know, but I can't remember one case.

usually it gets played off as just tainted evidence - and its rare anyways because they all believe the cops before anyone else. could be 10 credible witnesses but to the judge they don't matter if they disagree with the cop. sorry - have very little faith in the justice system - I've had cops lie in court before, judge didn't even entertain the idea of requiring the video from the cruiser or physical imposabilities as evidence against the cops statements.

whipped · Post by **whipped** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 10:55 am

Here's some other good tips when dealing with the po-lice:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NUV9E_CnxeI

:thumbleft:

Chase Race · Post by **Chase Race** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 1:13 pm

Aaron wrote:I would not consent to this however, that is talking things too far IMO.

See? They're exactly the same principle, just one is more extreme than the other. Your opinion is that cameras in your house goes too far. My opinion is that an officer is not going to search my car or house unless he has legal reason to, regardless of whether or not I have anything to hide.

Aaron wrote:Now if an officer showed up for whatever reason and asked to come in, there are very few circumstances in which I'd say no.

What if you had some friends over the night before and one of them left a bottle of Tequila sitting on the table? You weren't drinking and you're not doing anything wrong, but to the police officer you're a minor in possession of alcohol.

What if a previous owner of one of your cars lost a joint in it? What if one of your friends had something fall out of his pocket? You give the officer permission to search the car and he finds drugs under the seat that you didn't know were there.

This could be argued forever, but I'll stop here. Be careful, if you don't care about your rights you'll eventually lose them.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 2:05 pm

Chase Race wrote: What if you had some friends over the night before and one of them left a bottle of Tequila sitting on the table? You weren't drinking and you're not doing anything wrong, but to the police officer you're a minor in possession of alcohol.

In this case I am not a minor in possession, it is my parent's house, their alcohol. And I can consume alcohol, even if I am underage, if it is on my property and my guardians consent. So in this case, it isn't illegal. I see your point though, would just have few reservations about letting an officer in.

What if a previous owner of one of your cars lost a joint in it? What if one of your friends had something fall out of his pocket? You give the officer permission to search the car and he finds drugs under the seat that you didn't know were there.

I clean/ed every car I buy, pretty thoroughly, and not saying it can't happen, but without pulling the carpet, they're not going to find anything in either of my cars that I didn't know was there already. Again I see your point, I just don't mind if some of my rights are given up in the name of public safety. And I know from experience that an officer isn't going to care about a single joint or a bottle of tequila. I've been in enough college dorms for work to see my fair share. My friends don't do drugs. And if they did, they'd be no friends of mine.

This could be argued forever, but I'll stop here. Be careful, if you don't care about your rights you'll eventually lose them.

I agree. I care about my rights, but I am ok with giving them up on occasion for what the officer feels is public safety.

Chase Race · Post by **Chase Race** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 2:30 pm

Aaron wrote:In this case I am not a minor in possession, it is my parent's house, their alcohol.

I was talking about your dorm or apartment or wherever you live in Oklahoma.

Aaron wrote:And I know from experience that an officer isn't going to care about a single joint or a bottle of tequila.

Every single officer that any of us might ever run across? Riiiight. I wouldn't bet a criminal record on that.

Aaron wrote:I agree. I care about my rights, but I am ok with giving them up on occasion for what the officer feels is public safety.

I think unwarranted searches decrease public safety, not increase it.

Pyrthian · Post by **Pyrthian** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 2:39 pm

Aaron wrote:I don't think I'll ever have to worry about accidentally waiving my rights. Search my car all you want. You might find some quarters.

It really isn't very difficult. Don't break the law, you won't caught breaking the law.

this attitude is wholly because we do have civil rights. believe me, if we had shake down check points every 5 miles, you wouldn't think like this. one trip into the "system" due to misplaced paperwork will change your life for years.

Weponhead · Post by **Weponhead** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:06 pm

lol if someone smokes a j now and again they are no friend of yours.. well say goodbye to 90% of the country .. thats a rough Guesstimate