A case of mistaken identity....

no

 

You see, they were actually looking for rockHEAD .

 

getsmart,

What is your race?

I have never been mistaken for anyone specifically, but I have been mistaken for an "underage drinker" (I was neither underage nor had any alcohol in my system, "evading police," and for "looking suspicious."

Actually, a funny story...a long time ago my mother was targeted by a police helicopter. Someone had done an armed robbery and was running away, came into our neighborhood. At this time, my mother was jogging. Both the criminal and my mother were wearing a black and red sock cap. So the chopper sees here, starts circling over her, she looks up and they see it is a woman so then they go away.

 

Funny they would say
YOU ARE NOT IN TROUBLE . . .when you very well
could have been the guy *grin* Then you would
have been in a LOT of trouble

suspiscion [sp?] is a MFer [me being a paranoid person too]
They could have made up the Robbery thing
and just wanted to roust you . . .cause they didn't like
your face. . . If you had a ticket or something. . . you go down
into the system .. not because they so much as caught you
as they wanted to harrass you . . . .

Did you get searched?
[Is it me. . but when they say you have the right to say no
to search . . .that it makes you look guilty as hell so they
can easily get a warrent and search you too. . . and they
will sit you there for an hour to get one. . . it's not that you
hiding anything .. it is just that principle of the thing.]

Rocket River

 

Actually, you have a right to not give the police any information (including your id) in a case like in the original post. Of course, in Dallas, the police repeatedly arrest people for failure to ID even though it's not against the law. The DA's office will even further violate your constitutional rights by hiring you a lawyer without your permission (and without your knowledge) and plead the case out without you present even though that is also illegal. Just ask Donato Garcia.

And it isn't that easy to get a warrant.

 

So If I get pulled over for a speeding ticket
and they ask to search my car. . .a warrent may not
be forth coming.

Legally what can they do?
Most times they say I look suspicious etc. . . and would
search it anyway . .. I have a look that seems to be a
stereotype for pot smoking
[black male with Dred Locks dressed in casual clothing]

Rocket River
BTW - I don't smoke pot ;-)

 

I was sitting in the Rio Grande Valley airport in Harlingen Tx once. These Border Patrol dudes in Suits flashed their badges at me and asked me where I'm from. I snickered a bit and said the United States. They asked if I would go with them to their office to check my bags, of which I obliged. Made me take out EVERY article in my bags myself, frisked me down, asked me how come I was so nervous, went through my wallet and every pice of paper, almost missed my plane, was the last one to get on with everyone starring at me, blahblah.
Turns out you don't need to go anywhere with a Border Patrol dude in the airport. Stand up and say out loud, "Why don't you check everyone here" Have them check your bags where you;re sitting at. F*k'em.
Good thing I left the dope at home with the guns

 

"looking suspicious" is not probable cause. They have to have probable cause to search without consent. And probable cause is required to get a warrant. While the definition of what constitutes probable cause has expanded in recent years, "looking suspicious" is still not enough.

The way to handle any situation is to simply not say anything. Don't answer any questions (Because your answers to questions can give them probable cause). Just keep your mouth shut. You have a right to remain silent. Use it. (Of course, you should say "No, sir" when they ask if they can search your vehicle, but don't say why).

The police are allowed to lie to you, so it's important that you know the truth. If they say they can search anyway, don't say anything. Chances are, they know they can't. If they choose to search without probable cause and without your permission, they've just violated your civil rights and you can possibly get some money out of the department for that error.

And remember that if you're walking down the street, you are not required to produce ID if the police ask for it. You are not even required to tell them your name. You aren't allowed to lie to them (tell them a different name), but you can remain silent. In Dallas, refusing to give your ID to an officer when asked (this doesn't count for driving, by the way. If you're driving a car, you do have to produce ID when asked) will likely get you arrested (especially if you are black or hispanic), but it's not against the law (and DPD officers have specifically been told that they cannot arrest a person for failure to ID, but they do it anyway because the DPD is corrupt and doesn't care about following the law. And the DPD officer who arrests you will add all sorts of throwdown charges like "resisting arrest" and things of that nature. So, think it over when you decide to stand up for your rights in Dallas.)

Personally, I don't know how the DPD keeps getting away with this. You'd think the Feds would be interested in the massive corruption at the DPD, especially when it comes to their systematic abuse of citizens' constitutional rights. The DPD and the Dallas prosectors actually take pride in their "Failure to ID" arrests and convictions (how they convict people of something that isn't against the law is beyond me).

I can understand why the Dallas media isn't concerned about it. If these bad things aren't happening in the Park Cities, then the media could care less. Once someone from the Park Cities gets arrested for Failure to ID, the outrage in the media will be huge. Oak Cliffers don't get that same respect.

And the African-American leadership won't speak out on the issue of Dallas cops breaking the law because that would give ammunition to opponents of Chief Bolton. So, everybody just sits on their hands and ignores the massive corruption at DPD.