Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Law Students Blogs -> The Oratorical Snob

OR PHONE (866) 635-1838 for Bankruptcy Help, (866) 635-6190 for Divorce,
(866) 635-2689 for Personal Injury or (866) 635-9402 for Criminal Defense

Find a Local Lawyer

Bankruptcy (866) 635-1838
Divorce (866) 635-6190
Personal Injury (866) 635-2689
Criminal Defense (866) 635-9402

Law Students

: The Oratorical Snob

Always Say "No"

ADVERTISEMENTS

One of the first things I did when I started studying law in depth was to fill my younger brothers in on their rights as American citizens. Like all good lads, they drive cars and may occasionally speed. Such speeding might just bring about an officer of the law, who might just ask them questions not relating to their driving at all. And what did I tell my brothers?

"Always tell them no. Ask for a warrant, and don't let them touch the inside of the car, or any part of your person, without seeing one."

It may not make you popular with the police, and it may cause even more of a delay in your busy schedule, but that's the high price of having rights. I don't suspect that either of my brothers would be in possession of anything illegal. Then again, if they were, I would hope that both would be smart enough to demand a warrant. Letting them know that police sometimes act "unscrupulously" was my job as their older brother.

Thanks to a commenter on my last post, I was alerted to yet another wrongdoing in my great state. There's just something about law enforcement in Indianapolis and their thinking that they can throw the net wide.

As DailyKos describes, federal agents working for the TSA, including Air Marshals, took up base at two bus stops in downtown Indianapolis and set up random checkpoints to pat people down, look in bags, and perform "behavior" tests for the stated purpose of finding weapons and people who were a threat to public safety.

Never mind the fact that there have been no federal crimes occurring on Indy buses. Never mind that Indiana allows anyone with a concealed carry permit (from any state) to carry a handgun legally. Never mind that citizens weren't informed that they could opt out (so that the searches weren't in violation of the Fourth Amendment).

DailyKos has some alarming first-hand accounts of the searches, as well as a far more detailed account than what I can give. Sadly, the Indy Star managed to keep the story to a few lines near the middle. At least this time the comments seem to agree with the general legal consensus.

So, little brothers, I add on to my previous statement. You should also say no to any federal officer demanding to search you anywhere that's not an airport or the White House. In fact, you might want to just steer clear of Indianapolis until the ACLU takes care of this.

Full post as published by The Oratorical Snob on August 04, 2007 (boomark / email).