You were being a jerk.
Not so bad the cop should have tazed you, but close.
Most states require the officer to get the ID from all occupants of the vehicle in case later it turned out you were a lying SOB and were driving after all. They include that on the state accident reports.
Next time, be polite and helpful and not a jerk. Apologize to your wife.
What state? I’m an atty and that’s a new one on me. Typically, you wouldn’t have to and it sounds like the cop was BSing you.
You pose an interesting question. I’ve never heard of a passenger being required to produce a drivers license in a fender bender.
See this.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/06/24/dorf.police.id/index.html
I’m not a lawyer and have never stayed at a Holiday Inn.
My gut says you didn’t have to comply, but she would have made your life miserable. Handing the ID over makes sense when a cop is breathing down your neck. Neat on the house. bummer on the car.
I was rear ended in Boston once a few years ago. My friend in the back seat wasn’t forced to produce her license. Names of occupants were taken (5 of us), but not her license info.
We live in the nearest thing to a police state without officially having one.
If an officer of that state walks up to you and commands you to bend over and grab the ankles, you damn well better do it. They have a way of making your life very uncomfortable if they see fit...
Maybe it’s a state law thing? - (and perhaps your state did this out of concern re:illegal immigrants and car accidents, etc. I don’t know, just spitballing here).
I don’t think that’s the case here in Kentucky, but each state tends to be different.
Last I heard you don’t even have to have a driver’s liscence to be a passenger so the DMV couldn’t possibly require the police to enter “the driver’s licenses of everyone in the vehicle”.
You need to conduct yourself in such a manner not to want to hide you ID from any legitimate request to produce it. Excuse me for not being more gentle, and in a way I am sympathetic, but the police are very underpaid for the service they provide and some of the risks they take. Just go along with it, not an unreasonable request.
It’s too bad, but I believe it won’t be long until we all (everyone at age 18 or 16) will be required to carry papers (internal passports) and produce them upon offical demand. This will be necessary to deal with illegal immigration, terrorism, and the demands of the Commie Democrat Administration. (Though the Repubs will go along with it, and if there’s ever another Republican Administration they will keep the requirement in place.)
On the way to my apartment laundry house with a basket full of clothes, a cop cruising the parking lot stopped me asked what I was doing at two o’clock in the morning walking around(duh). He asked to see my ID and I stated it was in my apartment. He wouldn’t let me go get it and then asked for my SS#. He checked it. Apparently that was enough to ID me. He told me to be careful at night and pulled away.
She didn’t like you and wanted to see if you had any outstanding warrants. ;)
http://itd.idaho.gov/DMV/DriverServices/driver_license_facts.htm
“Idaho Driver’s Licenses
and Identification Cards
FACT SHEET”
"As we understand it, the statute does not require a suspect to give the officer a driver's license or any other document. Provided that the suspect either states his name or communicates it to the officer by other means--a choice, we assume, that the suspect may make--the statute is satisfied and no violation occurs."
The SCOTUS decision in Kolender v. Lawson (1983) struck down a law requiring 'credible and reliable' identification.
Unless someone can show me differently I am convinced that yes you do have to give your name, but are not legally obligated to produce any form of identification, especially if you are the passenger of a vehicle and not under actual suspicion of anything.
Interesting info here as well:
My thoughts:
Your town/city/state requires its citizens to produce an ID if they’re in an accident — even as passengers.
As it is YOUR town/city/state, it’s up to you to lobby against the rule if you don’t like it.
You were right. The cop was wrong.
I am subject to regular credit checks (once every few years) and criminal background history investigations. I am not complaining about the need for this. However, "word on the street" (for what its worth) indicated that a long-time employee was terminated due to "demonstrated unreliability". His legal history? Many unpaid tickets for riding a motorcycle without a helmet.
Every 5 years I have to re-take the MMPI (a psychological exam). Again, I am not complaining about the need for this. But here is a link to website petition to require presidential candidates to take the MMPI:
http://www.petitiononline.com/obamapet/petition.html
And here is an informal evaluation (using what scant info we have) of Obama's personality:
http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:TM3cEMXLHKEJ:www.faithfreedom.org/obama.html+faithfreedom.org+understanding+obama&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a
Its a cached copy because the faithfreedom.org website seems to be "down" at this time.
Very interesting reading.
Anyway, freedom is a tenuous thing. And Washingtonians believe the rules apply to others, not themselves.