Posted on 09/02/2013 6:46:50 AM PDT by lowbridge
Labor Day: another holiday, another excuse to push the limits of the police power over citizens. All across the state, Tennessee police will be performing another round of highly-publicized “no refusal” blood-draw DUI checkpoints this weekend. With police armed with a 2012 law that allows them to forcibly extract blood from drivers, its a bad time to be a citizen who does not consent to searches.
Forcible blood draws began in Tennessee in 2009, being used only for cases of vehicular assault. In all other circumstances, the blood draws were not forcible. They could be declined, with the understanding the DUI suspect’s driver’s license would be suspended. Tennessee calls it the Implied Consent Statute.
That changed January 1, 2012, with the enactment of a new law that took away that choice for suspects to decline with a license suspension. Ever since the law took effect, police can obtain rubber-stamped warrants to forcibly extract blood from any driver they decide is a DUI suspect.
Additionally, the new law now mandates blood be drawn from citizens in a variety of circumstances. No longer limited to vehicular assault cases, police are not required to take the blood of any DUI suspect who has ever had a DUI conviction in their life, according to WBIR. The other requirement is that blood be drawn from any suspect who has a person under the age of 16 in the car. The rest of the blood-draw cases are done upon seeking a readily available warrant.
In light of these new powers, the latest fad in Tennessee law enforcement is setting up “no refusal” checkpoints, having a judge or a judicial commissioner on call to churn out blood warrants on demand.
(Excerpt) Read more at policestateusa.com ...
I never knew until just now.
in the land that was once free, now the home of the slaves.
IIRC, TN was one of the first Vichy governments to assist the DHS in highway stop-n-searches. Go figure that from a state that brought you Gore senior and Al Gore as state Senators. Just guessing here but I’d say there is a large contingent of liberals and hangers-on due to Oak Ridge, TVA and other Federally funded institutions. Oh, and don’t forget Memphis - overtaken by Obama’s children.
TN - welcome to the Republik!
Blood? Somebody’s going to draw their blood first.
“The Land of the Free” has been a joke to international business travelers for some time, and we have lost BILLIONS as people choose to fly through and/or do business in Canada, Mexico, S America... This is just an “indicator.” The whole notion of a “safety arrest” is something Americans are getting used to, evidently with pride we are fighting terrorism, or drunk driving, or anything else...
The best part is that all states but NC allow SEIZURE OF PROPERTY WITH NO CONVICTION. Great article in the New Yorker about it last month. So, the cops can take your blood AND your car, for “no reason.”
Sheeple.
Ditto what you said. If this is happening in Tennessee, this country is in even worse shape than I thought.
For shame.
Protect Vehicular Assault!!
If I want to assault someone with my vehicle then BY DAMN I will do so, AND you’ll not take a drop of my blood for recompense!
Protect Vehicular Assault!!
If I want to assault someone with my vehicle then BY DAMN I will do so, AND you’ll not take a drop of my blood for recompense!
LEO: Mr. Popman...we need to take a sample of your blood...
Popman: Sorry officer, that isn't going to happen, either arrest me now or let me go...
LEO: Click, click
I worked in Oak Ridge for a couple of years, and really like the state. My daughter was born there.
Now I am ashamed to even claim setting foot in the state. I had never heard of this being applied in this manner. Whatever happened to probably cause and due process? They are invading your body (with a needle) and removing what is undeniably yours (blood) just because they think it will make things “safer” for the common good?
We are officially done as a country. All that is left is sorting out who lives and dies.
You didn't read the article, did you?
"These so-called “no refusal” checkpoints involve police blocking a public road, sometimes forcing drivers into a parking lot, where they will be forced to prove their innocence to police officers. ... Drivers who draw police interest — say, for being less than thrilled about being subjected to police checkpoints on American streets — may be put through field sobriety tests and may ultimately told that they will either voluntarily submit to a search, or they will be forcibly be subjected to a search. I am referring to breath and blood searches."
sfl
Well Hell..... When TN itself decides the US Constitution is fishwrap the Republic is no more.
Isn’t I-40 through Tennessee famous now for cops routinely extorting money from drug traffickers?
Having twice spent about 4 years in this much over-rated state, I’ve now got to wonder not only why anyone would live there, but why anyone would even travel on the roads there.
I seldom bother going back east anyway, but this will certainly be one state I’ll avoid from here on out.
Tennessee is a fascist police state.
Most of TN votes Republican but the GOP wasn’t the dominant party in the past, it was centered in East TN (Knoxville and Tri-Cities) back then. Those parts didn’t support the Confederacy and became GOP.
The East TN RINO Establishment of Governor Haslam, Senators Alexander and Corker etc. rules the roost of TN politics right now.
this law could be changed, can’t it?.......although possibly well intentioned to start, its grown a life of its own now....
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