ACLU Criticizes Court Ruling On Gun Search (ACLU Is Finally Right:"We're Living In A Police State")

Channel 5 News Oklahoma ^ | September 7, 2001 | AP Staff

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"How many of these things have to happen before we realize we're living in a police state and not a place governed by the Constitution?" asked Michael Salem, a volunteer attorney with the ACLU.

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Another story that shows the anti-gun mentality police are being taught.

Gun report gathers cops

Story By Sharon Dunn

Posted on Saturday, September 08 @ 02:59:27 EDT (103 reads)

A teenager set a flurry of Greeley cops in motion Friday after a resident noticed the teen playing with a gun in a car at the Wells Fargo Bank downtown. After stopping the car a block from the bank on 10th Street and 11th Avenue, several police officers drew their guns, ready for fire. Traffic was diverted as curious onlookers witnessed a real-life version of “Cops.”

But their bad guy turned out to be a 17-year-old Greeley boy with a shiny BB gun who was with a very frightened mother, sister in-law and her baby.

JAY QUADRACCI / quadracci@greeleytrib.com Greeley Police sergeant Rusty Mellon holds up a BB gun that looks like a real semi-automatic handgun while other police officers search a Chevy Camaro for other possible weapons on 11th Street at 11th Avenue. A boy in the vehicle was seen with the gun at the downtown Greeley Wells Fargo Bank, and police stopped the vehicle a block away after receiving the tip.

“That’s the most realistic BB gun I’ve ever seen,” Sgt. Rusty Mellon said at the scene. “He’s going to be strongly advised if he is going to have a toy (gun), he better not have it in his hand, in a car near a bank.

“It concerned a citizen enough to flag down a cop.”

The resident who saw the teen flagged down a Greeley policeman at the Weld District Courthouse. The teen, who was wearing a tight, black stocking on his head, was working the slide on top of the stainless steel semi-automatic replica. Mellon said it looked like a 9 mm Baretta.

“I’ve seen people get hurt with a lot less in their hand,” Mellon said.

After a check of identification, a search of his mother’s car, and a stern warning from police, the teen was on his way looking somewhat dismayed.

The police kept his toy.
(Toy Gun Confiscation now!!!)

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Story above from Greeley Tribune:

http://www.greeleytrib.com/index.php

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bump

[glock rocks]

Michael Salem, a volunteer attorney with the ACLU

well, t-shirt, what’ll ya bet his aclu days are over? in utah, i’m told
concealed permit carriers are required to tell leos if they are
carrying at the time of a traffic stop. i’m still searching
the state code for that... but it is not required of anyone else. right.

it’s also my understanding that a felon carrying a gun
doesn’t have to admit it due to the self-incrimination
implications (5th amendment). odd stuff.

i imagine leos have carry permits cross referenced to driver licenses...
i’d hand the man my carry permit with my drivers license if i was carrying...
and ask him how he would like to proceed.

on the upside, i haven’t been stopped in twenty years...

[t-shirt]

it’s also my understanding that a felon carrying a gun doesn’t have to admit it due to the self-incrimination implications (5th amendment).

Correct

[Waco]

So? Lie to em! Make em walk the "Clinton Mile". Clink" lies are AOK. Take advantage of it. Make em get a warrant.

[unamused]

"I think it's a small minority of citizens that would think it's intrusive," he said.

The very sad thing is, he's right...

[B4Ranch]

Either that or tell them, "Maybe, I don't remember if I took it into the house. No, you can't look for it without a warrant"

Just bust their butts the same way they are trying to do to us. Make them nervous knowing all the time you don't have one in the car.

[jimkress]

Lt. Chris West, spokesman for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, said not every stopped motorist is asked about having a weapon. But he said officers should have the right to ask the question.
"I think it's a small minority of citizens that would think it's intrusive," he said.

Watch out minorities everywhere! If you are part of a minority, you no longer have any Consitutional protection, according to Lt. Chris West.

[t-shirt]

Be sure to also see other gun thread I just posted.

[Henry F. Bowman]

He’s going to be strongly advised if he is going to have a toy (gun), he better not have it in his hand, in a car near a bank

Reminds me of recently buying a gun (from a cop) in the parking lot of a bank.

Nervous guard glad to see us leave.

[A Navy Vet]

Just say no.

[zog]

--my question is, why is it even an issue if you have a weapon in your car or not? That's the nutso part. I refuse to live in any state that has such a "law". I don't even like visiting states with such a "law". The lawyer was worried about the "not guilty" ones. Phooie, it's none of their business if you have a weapon or not. From my point of view, every cop out there should assume everyone has a weapon, and in 99.9999999% of the cases the person packing is justified, and it's none of their business. If they can't handle that, let them quit and get a real job someplace. Let them read the second amendment again. If they can't handle that, then go away, take badge off. cops have gotten all the breaks they deserve, time for them to learn to read, and realize that just because they are ordered to do something doesn't make it justifiable. "just following orders" is the tired old nuhremberg defense, null and void. Quicker they learn that the better, same with the other political apparati. Cops "enforce" about 75% non-law extra-judicial "code" anymore. They know it, the judges know it, the legislators know it, everyone knows it. This hypocrisy has gotten way out of control.

[t-shirt]

Because they want to intimate people into not keeping and bearing arms, in their cars, and everywhere else.

[AlphalfaMale]

ACLU FInally Right...? Actually, this ACLU action should surprise no one. The ACLU defends people who are being screwed over by authority . It defends the citizens' rights under the Constitution. The ACLU doesn't care about the political position of the screwee. In the past, an authoritarian Right-tilted government went after the Left . The right criticised the ACLU for doing so. In this case, with gun and privacy rights at issue, the ACLU is there again---actually, still. Now we like 'em. Remember too, whenever wailing about what the ACLU has "done" that we don't like:...they don't get to decide anything, all they can do is go to court and say, "Hey Judge, this is wrong." The courts decide cases, not the ACLU

[Victoria Delsoul]

"This ruling takes away the presumption that a person is a law-abiding citizen," Salem said. "It's not the guilty ones I'm worried about. I'm concerned about innocent people subjected to unnecessary searches by officers trying to assert their authority."

Agree!

[Prism]

"I think it's a small minority of citizens that would think it's intrusive," he said.

Well, that makes sense, I think it's a small minority of citizens that think -- at all!

Belief in democracy is an indicator of intelligence:

People who think   <------------+
democracy is good               |
                                |
                                |
                                +-----> Victims of other peoples idiocy
Population                      |
^                               |
|                  *            |
|                *   *          |
|               *     *         |
|               *     *         |
|              *       *        |
|              *       *        |
|             *         *       |
|             *         *       |
|            *           *      |
|          *               *    |
|        *                   *  |
|      *                        *
|   *                           |  *
|*                              |     *
+------------------------------------------> Intelligence
                                |
                                |
                                +------> People who understand why democracy is bad
                                |
                                |
     Perpetrators of idiocy <---+


Why democracy 'works': People find it easier to deny thier own stupidity
                       than attempt to understand or accept wisdom of
                       those more intelligent than themselves.

[glock rocks]

The ACLU defends people who are being screwed over by authority . It defends the citizens' rights under the Constitution. The ACLU doesn't care about the political position of the screwee.

um... so show me a link to where the aclu has ever taken a
pro second amendment stance...