Posted on 09/21/2007 11:30:40 AM PDT by jmc813
Motorists in Colorado are expressing outrage over a weekend stunt in Gilpin County, about an hour's drive west of Denver, where highway checkpoints were set up so a private organization could ask for samples of blood and saliva.
"I don't think they're authorized to do what they're doing, and I view it as a gross violation of law-enforcement protocol," Roberto Sequeira, 51, told reporters for the Denver Post.
He said he and his wife were "detained" for about 15 minutes even after they protested they wanted to get home because of a sleepy child in their car.
(Story continues below)
Sheriff's officials were apologizing after they helped set up and run five separate checkpoints over the weekend.
They said workers for the Institute for Research and Evaluation were overly persistent in their demands of innocent travelers.
"It was like a telemarketer that you couldn't hang up on," Undersheriff John Bayne told the newspaper.
Sgt. Bob Enney said the deputies' assistance to the organization involved stopping motorists at the sites along Colorado Highway 119 for "surveys" on any drug or alcohol use. Surveyors also requested that motorists submit to breath, blood and saliva tests.
Enney said several hundred motorists were tested, and some later complained.
Sequeira said he repeatedly asked if the questioners were law enforcement officials and said he was not interested in participating in the study, but still was not given clearance to leave.
He told the newspaper that he and his family were approached by two researchers, and even after his repeated refusals, officials offered his wife, who was driving, $100 to get the couple to take part in a breath test.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
“Lessee... False arrest, unlawful search and seizure, assault under color of authority...”
False imprisonment? Fraud? Impersonating a law enforcement officer (for the jumpsuit guys).
I wonder how many charges will actually be filed? somewhere close to 0
They sure do. Gilpin County is home to Central City and Blackhawk...towns that are home to several casinos.
Just WHAT were the "workers" implying they were going to do to these people that might leave them in a condition such that they would require "help driving home"?????
The Republic is gasping for air, ping.
The proper answer to a ridiculous request like this is, “No. Now move or be run over.”
If it weren’t for the whole civil liberties thing, this actually sound like a good way to get accurate data on drug usage by drivers.
This is another of Socialist Denver’s way of “enforcing things”. I nthis state if you’re stopped on the premise you might have been drinking and then refuse a Breathalyzer test, you can lose your license completely. So, this is a BIG crock of CRAP for these LE people to pull this. I hope someone nukes them til they’re naked.
And who are you going to get the money from? Poor mountain cops? A non existent non profit?
It's not the money that's important here, it's the principal.
Follow the money path.
O.J. will tell you what happens when you prevent people from leaving when they want to.
I would have takn the $100,Drove for about a mile , turned around and made another $100,,could have racked up 500-600 dollars and all for alittle spit..
Seriously though,i’d never give Blood on the side of a highway..Gettin’ way out of hand..
Why do you think 0? I promise if that happens to me, there’s going to be a BIG lawsuit. It is not legal to force people to give DNA samples except two circumstances... 1) You are obviously drunk and you’ve been asked to do a breath test, and you refuse — THEN they can do a blood test here, in this state WITH A JUDGE’s RULING on it. 2) you’re suspected of a felony and they have to check the match to your DNA. Again, they MUST GET A COURT ORDER to do it.
(There’s a third situation, you’re in the military and they tell you too... that’s the ONLY three I know of).
I know it's the principle of the thing, but how are you going to keep them from doing the same thing again unless you get their attention by successful suing the pants off them?
Having to fork over bucks for being stupid is the only way bureaucrats at any level ever learn.
But OJ’s crew had a gun. < /s >
I wonder if anyone freely gave a saliva sample preceeded by a loud Hhhhhwoooorrrck.
In some areas and under some proposals you could lose your license for up to a year merely for not breathing. And blowing below 0.08 will not cause the charges to be dropped. You can be convicted of DWI at 0.00.
This is pretty crazy stuff. Why exactly were they pressuring people for their DNA? For what purpose?
What the hell is the “Institute for Research and Evaluation”?
I just tried to go to their website but it looks like it’s getting assaulted today. Nothing comes up.
“Why do you think 0? I promise if that happens to me, there’s going to be a BIG lawsuit”
Lawsuit is one thing, criminal charges are something else. I absolutely agree with you that this is criminal but these things are getting worse and worse with no response.
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