Another Incident Of Dumb Cops Arresting A Guy For Using An Open Wi-Fi Connection

Information Week ^ | Jun 1, 2007 | Mitch Wagner

[Publius6961]

So if your outside standing under a street lamp reading the newspaper, can they charge your with theft of electricity?

No, genius.
Street lights are installed for precisely that purpose.

Try again.

[Publius6961]

He did ask. More accurately, his computer did when it requested access. Since the access was granted, he was using it with the permission of the network and, by extension, its owner.

Uhh. I don't thinks so.
Put down the crack pipe and the ipod and try again...

[antiunion person]

So I checked out FR for the latest news, and looked at my email to see if anyone wrote to me. This is a crime?

You committed two crimes. The worst of the two was being a conservative checking out FreeRepublic. In today’s way of thinking, liberals, would have have you taken to an insane asylum for being a conservative.

[SC Swamp Fox]

He was legally parked.
His computer detected a wireless network.
His computer ASKED FOR PERMISSION to connect to the wireless network.
The wireless network GRANTED PERMISSION to his computer and allowed him access to the internet.

Where was the crime? He should have fought this.

[drlevy88]

Maybe it should be against the law to have an open connection thus tempting the unwary to check their email?

These unprotected private servers have likely violated the terms of their ISP agreement, at least as far as the legal position that their ISP would be likely to take. But the only legal thing you could do would be to refrain from connecting and report the situation to the ISP carriers in the area.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Nope someone who was stalked by a genuine off his meds loony.

And your attitude was the kind the cops in my area had.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

If I were a cop.....

If that is your goal in life I know just the city where you should apply for a "job".

[KoRn]

"I wouldn’t use someone’s phone without asking, why would I use their internet connection without asking?"

In this case the open connection is a public accommodation. Should someone be charged for walking inside and using their public restroom?

[muawiyah]

Wi-Fi providers are using the "public airwaves" and are regulated by various federal laws.

Not sure where these local guys come off doing anything about it.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

This is pretty much the behavior of many people on their lunch break.

Nope. Few people get in their car, drive to another parking lot (the same one every time) and sit there through their lunch hour.

Never going in, never getting out of their car, just sitting there.

[KoRn]

"They like to see officers baited into confrontations"

I wouldn't consider that baiting. If I'm sitting in my car not breaking any laws or doing anything wrong, it isn't a cop's business why I'm there, and I would tell him so. In a much more diplomatic way of course. ;)

[muawiyah]

UPS, Fed-Ex, USPS, etc. drivers do exactly this (except in certain crime filled neighborhoods).

[Joe Boucher]

Meanwhile during this brave cops b.s. I wonder if any real crime was going on in the town of Sparta Michigan?
Robbery, rape, theft. mugging?

[tanknetter]

The solution to stupidity like this, is to reduce the offending law enforcement entities budget by 25% immediately.

Sure, but consider that this department just managed $400 in additional revenue plus 40 hours of "free" work for their "community" off of this violation. It's another case of cops acting as revenue enhancers/tax collectors ... and who in public management is really going to have a problem with it?

[tophat9000]

Sorry but there are free open to the public wifi connections and if you present your as one ( no encription or password needed)then expect it to be used as one...

[RFEngineer]

“Nope. Few people get in their car, drive to another parking lot (the same one every time) and sit there through their lunch hour.

Never going in, never getting out of their car, just sitting there.”

There are lots of things that people do that “few people” do. A police officer with an ounce of judgement would have let this slide with an admonishment to stop making people suspicious in the neighborhood. Of course if this “criminal” had any balls at all he would have fought this.....and the “victim”....oh, that’s right....there IS no victim.

[Sleeping Beauty]

Peterson copped a plea. If he'd fought it, he could have faced a sentence of up to five years in jail, and a $10,000 fine.

Considering the quality of the bureaucracy -- from the cop to the chief to the DA -- I would have copped a plea, as well.

[RFEngineer]

“Considering the quality of the bureaucracy — from the cop to the chief to the DA — I would have copped a plea, as well.”

Yeah, you’re right. I was a little tough on the guy....they, and the stupidity they display so openly would have ruined him financially for certain.

Even for a plea this was pretty harsh. This sounds not much less than what Sandy Burglar got for stealing secrets.

[thefactor]

in order to arrest him they must have spoken to someone in the coffee shop. how did they know he didnt have “permission” to use the wi-fi? he could have gotten a coffee to go and was sitting in his car.

[thefactor]

where?