tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post5590969228822206131..comments2023-09-29T05:32:04.308-07:00Comments on StrangePegs: "You Didn't Do Anything Illegal"Andrew Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-65319045450149029082017-12-18T14:44:24.545-08:002017-12-18T14:44:24.545-08:00ABftS: Is that what they call that? Because I thou...ABftS: Is that what they call that? Because I thought it was just bullying for bullying.<br /><br />I'll just note that that was not the first time I've been pulled over without cause. I mean, cause other than that I was driving at night and, evidently, driving at night is also suspicious. I guess what we can learn from that is NEVER sit in your car at night, especially in your own driveway.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-58586978161417180842017-12-15T09:33:26.509-08:002017-12-15T09:33:26.509-08:00Yikes. I've been there. Once got pulled over f...Yikes. I've been there. Once got pulled over for pulling out of my parking lot. As in (back when I was living in an apartment), backing out of my parking spot, rounding the corner, and getting pulled over after having driven maybe 50 feet.<br /><br />His reason? Because it looked "suspicious" that I sat in my car for a full minute before I drove away. Note that it was -5 degrees at the time.<br /><br />Him: "So what were you doing?"<br />Me: "I was warming up my car."<br />Him: "Why?"<br />Me: "...Because it's -5 degrees."<br />Him: "Still, though, it looked suspicious that you were just sitting there."<br />Me: "Why? Because I was staking out my own apartment?"<br />Him: "You live here?"<br />Me: "Yes."<br />Him: "Can you prove that?"<br />Me: "...Just look at my license. You're holding it."<br /><br />Possibly the dumbest human being I've ever encountered. After that I asked him if I could go. He gave me a snide "have a nice night" and I went on my way. I never saw him around my apartment complex again.<br /><br />The police: protecting us from ourselves.A Beer for the Showerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17029139745335325356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-12662302565769264272017-12-14T23:14:49.189-08:002017-12-14T23:14:49.189-08:00Jeanne: It's a loyalty thing is the only way I...Jeanne: It's a loyalty thing is the only way I know how to describe it. It's a messed up mentality some people have; unfortunately, it's a lot of people who have it.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-62916488559824312282017-12-14T23:13:21.377-08:002017-12-14T23:13:21.377-08:00Briane: And that's why I wish I had thought to...Briane: And that's why I wish I had thought to take note of whom he was. It's not the first time this has happened to me, actually, but I didn't know it was an illegal thing for them to do until after the time prior to this one, in which I was basically pulled over for being in a car with an out of state license plate at night.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-56780246668492713032017-12-14T13:02:49.205-08:002017-12-14T13:02:49.205-08:00There's this weird mentality out there where p...There's this weird mentality out there where people refuse to call out cops for anything because doing so would be "not supporting" them. Stuff like this is not okay and it's time to stop giving cops a pass for it.J E Oneilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09780097298061829471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-39777009013564157422017-12-14T08:38:25.651-08:002017-12-14T08:38:25.651-08:00Eeek. Scary what people try and get away with. Sor...Eeek. Scary what people try and get away with. Sorry this happened to you.Liz A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16531953467834426316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-25575756525817105812017-12-14T06:08:10.970-08:002017-12-14T06:08:10.970-08:00You're right that it was illegal, and you have...You're right that it was illegal, and you have a remedy if you choose to pursue it: "Section 1983" actions (so called because of the portion of the US Code where they are enacted: 42 USC sec. 1983) allows a person to sue for damages where an official acting under color of law has violated their civil rights. In this case your 4th Amendment rights were violated when the policeman stopped and detained you; a cop needs reasonable suspicion to do a "Terry" stop ("Terry v. Ohio", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_v._Ohio ) which is a brief investigative stop; an officer needs probable cause to suspect that a crime was committed in order to place you under the longer seizure of arrest.<br /><br />So whatever the level of stop this was, it seems likely the officer violated your civil rights and I would contact a local civil rights lawyer to address it. Section 1983 is 'fee shifting' so a lawyer can take it on a contingent fee basis and if the suit is successful the government pays the lawyer for suing it.<br /><br />I have one of these cases pending now: two Madison police officers stopped and detained my client on "suspicion" of a theft when she didn't match the description of the suspect in any way... other than they were both African-American women. Brianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01616494058636881575noreply@blogger.com