Posted on 05/01/2008 3:53:37 PM PDT by FoxPro
My girlfriend and I were driving around the city of Las Vegas in the area bounded by Desert Inn Road and Tropicana Avenue, Decatur Blvd and Rainbow Road.
We were looking for a particular battery shop to return a car battery that was erroneously purchased the day before. So we were both in rubbernecking mode trying to find this particular shop. We kept on seeing this particular police car as we basically drove around in circles for about 10 minutes. We pulled into a parking lot that we though might be where the shop was located (it wasn't). The police car followed us into the parking lot and immediately turned on his lights. We were very polite to the officer, and he asked that my girlfriend step out of the car and stand behind his cruiser, I am assuming to be out of ear shot so he could question us separately. And so he did. Our stories obviously matched. Unfortunately, I couldn't find my proof of insurance in the glove compartment (I am assuming it was tossed when my girlfriend recently cleaned the car). So the police officer wrote me a ticket for no proof of insurance. I also had a small crack in the windshield, and he wrote me a ticket for that. The crack is not noticeable unless you are very close to the windshield, and therefore could not have been the reason I was pulled over.
When I asked the officer why I was pulled over, he did not respond.
I was a little nervous (police make me nervous in general) and so my hand was shaking slightly as I signed the ticket. The police man then asked my if he could search my car!
I told the officer that I did not know of anything illegal that was in my car (a true statement), but that I loaned the car to different people from time to time (specifically my girlfriend who drives her friends around), and that I could not guarantee that there was nothing illegal in my car. He told me that if he found a pipe or even a small part of a marijuana cigarette in my car I would be arrested and immediately incarcerated. I then told him that if I was the only person that had been driving my car for the foreseeable past, I would let him search my car. But that since this was not the case, I would not voluntarily permit him to search my car.
1) I am assuming that the police officer thought we were looking for a crack dealer.
2) My girlfriend is 22 years old (and is a cute petite blond, its a Vegas thing, lol), and I am 46, so I am assuming he might have thought I was engaging in some sort of illegal solicitation for sex.
I have since obtained an "experience letter" from my insurance company and replaced the windshield.
Do you think it would be wise to bring up the "no probable cause" issue under the forth amendment in court, or do you think that would just anger the judge?
To repeat what others have said, next time simply say “No, I do not give permission to have my car searched”, and drop it.
Do not bring it up.
Have you, since, searched your car? If so, tell us what you found and close you came to wearing an orange one piece jumpsuit? LOL
I said no once. I was told to stand behind my vehicle, and he called backup. Fours cars came, and they talked, shined their lights in, and then said...”have a nice evening, sir”.
BTW why are you going to court? If you had insurance and had it got proof form the company just go to the clerks (citations) office and show it to them they will waive the fee. As far as the windshield any LOE or DMV guy can sign that off.
It would be more financially rewarding if she could count cards at the blackjack tables.
See post 19.....
Yes sir?
Yes sir.
Thank you sir.
send the check
The ACLU has a video you can find on line on how to deal with a police search. Unless your life is in danger, you don't aggree to a search. Don't fight with the cops. Let the lawyers deal with it in court.
They had met after work at a bar, and each came in their own car. By the time she left, she was totally plastered, but drove off anyway.
Enventually, on her drive home, she noticed flashing lights in her mirrors, and pulled over. Turns out she had made a left turn DOWN A RAILROAD TRACK, and just kept going for over a mile, before she saw the lights and pulled over. She didn't even know where she was.
He gave her a warning. Some people lived charmed lives...
"Officer, I have a consitutional right to refuse to make any statements without having my lawyer present. I know I am not under arrest, but I nonetheless assert my right to remain silent unless my lawyer is present. And I do not grant you or anyone else permission to search my vehicle without a warrant."
I got pulled over recently for an expired tag. The thing is, my registration was current, I was just missing the decal on my license plate (it hadn't arrived from Sacramento yet). The cop wrote me a "fix it" ticket, the decal arrived the next day, all I needed was to get another LEO to witness the fix and sign the ticket, then bring it to the courthouse and pay a $10 processing fee.
Is it different in Nevada?
-PJ
Sounds like this gal is a local grifter, and probable cause for a search. Severely Pretty Poison in any case. Watch your back. And your wallet.
Now you know what driving while white means.
Tell us exactly why you’re going to court again? Is it just to fight the fine for the insurance?
When cops ask you if they can search your car you ALWAYS answer ‘NO’. Being nervous is not probable cause (by itself) to toss your car on his own. It WAS enough to get him to ask you. Fortunately even with your long-winded explanation he didn’t do it.
If you plan on going to court to fight the fine for the tickets, that’s up to you. I always do because you can’t get in any more trouble (well, for the most part) and a good chance you’ll get reduced or only court costs. If you do, DO NOT mention anything about the consent to search, yada, yada, yada. It’s irrelevant to the tickets and the judge/monitor/homeless hearing your case could probably care less.
We tried counting cards. There are 3 reasons it is difficult.
1) Most single and double deck tables will not let you enter the game until the deck is freshly shuffled.
2) You have to play an enormous amount of blackjack hands to get an edge.
3) If the pit boss sees you betting $5 ten times in a row, and then you all of a sudden raise your bet to $5000 when the deck is low, he will throw you out of the place ASAP, and you will be banned from the casino indefinitely.
Or be a hooker. At least that's an honest profession in Nevada.
You were correct in not allowing them to inspect your car, but you should have offered to undergo a body cavity search to show them you were a good guy.
Yeah. It's not like you can just roam around the country as wish or anything like that.
Does she have a sister?
It sounds as though you are very proud of her.
“Yeah. It’s not like you can just roam around the country as wish or anything like that. “
I agree
Next thing people will assume they can sit on their porch and drink a beer and not be searched by agents of the state.
What’s gotten in to people; do they think they live in a nation of free people?
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