Welcome to Future Felons of America

claire wolfe ^ | Claire Wolfe

[BubbaBasher]

And they wonder why I need an assault weapon!

[headsonpikes]

The Future Kapos of America have a burgeoning membership, too!

There's something for everybody in this best of all possible worlds.

;^)

[D. Brian Carter]

Yaaaaawn

Wouldn't be such a yawner if it happened to you or your wife... I have a close friend who was recently stopped by the police for a traffic violation. When the cops searched her car, they found a prescription bottle containing some of the proper pills, in addition to one "improper" pill, a dose of Xanax which she also had a prescription for. She was charged with illegal possession of a controlled substance.

No problem, right? Take the prescription to court, show the judge get it thrown out... well just the hassle of getting arrested, bailing out, going to multiple court dates (after hiring a lower), missing work to go to these dates, all based on an arcane (and stupid) law is more than cruel and unusual punishment, IMHO, ESPECIALLY for someone who DID NOTHING WRONG.

Hope your wife knows not to let the cops search her car next time she gets pulled over.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

My friend the chief of police sadly points out that he can arrest anyone any time. There is a broken law for everybody.

We are no longer capable of not being criminals.

[Wolfie]

You have a point there. This was written 6 years ago. Which means it was written when Clinton was president. So its ok to complain about the federal excesses described therein!

[jmc813]

Damn! I was just about to make a post asking the over/under on when ol' CJ would show up here and mention the word ideologue. Post 2....$hit

[45Auto]

The Constitution has been turned upside down - no longer an instrument that proscribes government authority, it is now used to limit the freedom of individual citizens. We are living in post-Constitutional America, a half-step away from an open tyranny. The only remaining barrier to this is the armed citzenry - hence, the push at all levels and in all branches of government to ban the private possession of firearms. The RKBA has been successfully turned into the PKBA - (Government) Permission to Keep and Bear arms. And while the Congressional RATs are almost in open defiance of Constitutional limitations on their power, the Repubos, sad to say, are not far behind.

[George Smiley]

Agreed.

He's (Charles C?) one lucky guy.

One of my originals goes like this:

If you're not committing at least three inadvertent felonies every day before lunchtime, then you're probably not living right.

[Lazamataz]

We are living in post-Constitutional America, a half-step away from an open tyranny.

Total surveillance is in our immediate future. Armed with that, they need not fall back to terrorising us into compliance.

They will simply monitor us into compliance.

A kinder, gentler tyranny.

[PeterPrinciple]

"after hiring a lower"

Typo? but I kinda like it, fits.

[PeterPrinciple]

"after hiring a lower"

Typo? but I kinda like it, fits.

[LittleJoe]

There is a broken law for everybody.

Does that mean we have become a police state?

[D. Brian Carter]

Man, that's HORRIBLE. I pride myself on my spelling and on proofreading what I write... guess that was the ultimate in Freudian slips. Next time you see me slip up, be sure to bring it to my attention again!

[Lazamataz]

Wouldn't be such a yawner if it happened to you or your wife... I have a close friend who was recently stopped by the police for a traffic violation.

In full violation of the SCOTUS ruling disallowing such practice, too. SCOTUS reasoned that searches may only be made for crimes they have Prob Cause to suspect. Since they only are citing on a traffic violation, how are they going to find more evidence of that traffic violation in the car?

When the cops searched her car, they found a prescription bottle containing some of the proper pills, in addition to one "improper" pill, a dose of Xanax which she also had a prescription for. She was charged with illegal possession of a controlled substance.

HEL lo. Welcome to Amerika, 2003.

No problem, right? Take the prescription to court, show the judge get it thrown out... well just the hassle of getting arrested, bailing out, going to multiple court dates (after hiring a lower), missing work to go to these dates, all based on an arcane (and stupid) law is more than cruel and unusual punishment, IMHO, ESPECIALLY for someone who DID NOTHING WRONG.

In Georgia, she'd still be convicted of a misdemeanor. Here, it is illegal to do what she did, prescription or not. The charge is called a violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act-Drugs Not in Their Original Container.

Those little Monday-through-Sunday pill containers old people get?

Misdemeanants, every one of them.

[D. Brian Carter]

In Georgia, she'd still be convicted of a misdemeanor. Here, it is illegal to do what she did, prescription or not. The charge is called a violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act-Drugs Not in Their Original Container.

This issue hasn't even been resolved yet. Who knows, that may be what happens here in Florida too. I was just speculating, cause I know the stuff she's been through already in regard to this case, and I made the assumption that this would be thrown out of court, but maybe not, after what you've posted.

[only1percent]

I'm always amazed at how many people end up in jail because of consent searches and Miranda-waiver interrogations without an attorney ...

[Super Mak90kid]

"She was charged with illegal possession of a controlled substance."

You are right about the hassle involved in having to prove yourself not guilty. But it gets much worse then that. Case in point. I was ticketed for an assault nearly seven years ago when I was very young. I maintained my innocence and the charge was later dismissed at state's cost. Now that I have a degree and am applying for many jobs in the legal field (both public and private), these applications are asking not only have been convicted of, but have EVER BEEN CHARGED OR TICKETED FOR any misdemeanor or felony. So now I find myself getting racked over the coals all over again for a mere allegation.

[D. Brian Carter]

In full violation of the SCOTUS ruling disallowing such practice, too. SCOTUS reasoned that searches may only be made for crimes they have Prob Cause to suspect. Since they only are citing on a traffic violation, how are they going to find more evidence of that traffic violation in the car?

By the way... most people either are too uninformed, ignorant, or intimidated to stand up to the cops, and "voluntarily consent" to a search of the car. I read my friend the riot act when she told me she did this.

A few years back, I was on a full Greyhound bus that stopped at a truck stop in the middle of Nowheresville, Pennsylvania. After taking a break we all walked out to the welcoming lights of about 30 PA State Police. They boarded our bus, and the others in the parking lot, and announced they'd be searching everyone's belongings. Believe it or not, I, the long-haired, raggedy-clothes-wearing, multiply-pierced hippie boy, was the only person that would not allow the cops into my personal belongings.

Every single one of the other 50+ people readily opened their bags, purses, suitcases, pockets, etc. for the cops to search (and one of the morons got pulled off the bus for what was found).

The lady sitting next to me was even begging me to "not make a scene", to "just do what they ask"... how sad.

[Lazamataz]

This issue hasn't even been resolved yet. Who knows, that may be what happens here in Florida too. I was just speculating, cause I know the stuff she's been through already in regard to this case, and I made the assumption that this would be thrown out of court, but maybe not, after what you've posted.

It's also a Federal crime to do that, however, the odds of this being picked up Federally are almost nonexistant.

But yes, welcome to Amerika.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

I'm talking about a good mother, ripped away from her children because her religion forbids her to pay income taxes, forced to watch from a distance as those children grow up motherless, fatherless, and filled with bursting rage.

Man, how about a religion that forbids you from going to federal prison! Yeah, that's the ticket.