Get a horse. ;-)
Posted on 02/24/2014 8:30:33 AM PST by highnoon
Both of the following events occurred in Williamson County Texas, in a small town with a Hippo Mascot.
The week of Christmas 2013 I was pulled over for ‘not displaying my blinker for more than 100 feet’. After the normal chit chat, the officer asked for consent to search my vehicle, to which I refused. I was told that K9 was in route and to wait outside the vehicle. K9 never arrived and after 15 minutes of waiting I was released.
Fast forward to Saturday evening 2/22/14. I pulled onto the roadway and was immediately followed by a member of the local police force, who after a few seconds turned his headlights off, then turned them back on. I stopped at an intersection with the officer behind me, proceeded forward when the light turned green and pulled into a Walgreens – the officer did not follow. I sat in the parking lot for 2 or 3 minutes then pulled out and went on my way. In less than a minute I was being pulled over.
Reason given was ‘non visible license plate’. He then asked why I had pulled into and out of the Walgreens. I responded that I was avoiding trouble based on the events that occurred the week of Christmas. He asked to search the vehicle to which I consented. I mentioned the presence of my prescription Adderall and after a VERY thorough search the officer completed his search. He emerged with my pill bottle and mentioned that the bottle was 2 years old, and that the contents (30 mg) did not match the label (20 mg). I was told that my pills were being confiscated and that I had a few days to speak with a detective, present a valid prescription for the pills or a warrant would be issued. I have the most recent Rx bottle – labeled for 30 mg and I’m preparing to visit with the detective when it occurred to me to ask some of you for advice.
I feel that I have a target painted on my vehicle due to the refusal to consent to the Christmas week search. I also feel that if the reason I was pulled over on Saturday was the LP light, the officer should have made the stop instead of playing cat & mouse with me. These are things I want to say out loud to them, but restraint of pen & tongue has me asking the members of FR first.
Any and all input is appreciated and valued. Thanks in advance.
HN
Why let them search?
Sounds like you were illegally detained. The cops can’t keep you there JUST to wait for the K9 unit. They can only keep you long enough to conduct the stop and write a ticket unless they have probable cause.
You made a mistake by consenting to the search of your vehicle. I wouldn’t talk to the detective or any police. Instead, hire an attorney.
Another of Obama’s Brown Shirts!
Get a horse. ;-)
Get a new license plate. This happens to people who have bought cars at auction confiscated by the government for drug crimes.
Correction. Sounds like the pills gave them PC. NEVER consent to a search.
‘not displaying my blinker for more than 100 feet’??? Did you or anyone in your family p!ss off the cops recently. Looks like they got your number. Lawyer up!
The job of the police department in Hutto is to be a revenue generator for the community. I refuse to call Hutto a city!
And never, ever consent to a police search of your vehicle if you have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide.
Tell them to pound sand, in other words, get a warrant.
A routine traffic violation does not warrant a search of a vehicle.
The police have the power of apprehension, put-down, and arrest - however they deem necessary.
They further have the power of gathering evidence, questioning witnesses and so forth. They control whatever information a district attorney sees (unless he/she is disposed to dig deeper from outside sources).
What makes you uneasy about this? I mean what makes you easy about an immature skin head, iron pumper with an attitude and full-regalia assault gear having a badge and ‘authoritay?’
NEVER EVER consent.
If they want to find something, they will.
Bring your attorney with or don’t go at all.
It’s common BS SOP in some communities where the LEO’s have nothing better to do but harrass anyone that’s an outsider which they can easily tell by the prefix on the license plate number (or at least that’s the way it used to be). They know outsiders are more likely to just go ahead and pay the ticket rather than driving back to contest it. I understand the reasons why because you have the right to face your accuser, witnesses, blah, blah, blah, etc...but personally I think that whole situation is just bull$hit to make money for the court systems. There are some small cities that depend on that money to pay their bills but have gone WAY past what they need out of greed and it’s just not right.
Never let them search. If they ask for permission, give them a very polite no, then ask if you are free to go.
Beyond that, highnoon asks an important question. Is he being targeted for exercising his constitutional right to refuse a search? It would appear so. I hope some FR law enforcement types will weigh in on this.
Sounds like things have changed in the 7 years since I moved away from a town that bordered your town that has a hippo mascot. Sorry to hear of your troubles.
Search?
“NO, you’ll have to ask my lawyer about that”
Why not?
“Why do you ask? What’s YOUR reason and legal authority?”
Blah, blah.
“Wait until my lawyer gets here, then tell him that.”
I am going to shout the last word of this post. LAWYER!
WHY DID YOU CONSENT TO A SEARCH????
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