Court rules cell phones can be searched (without a warrant) if you're arrested. WTF?!

[LouCipherr]

Well isn't this just a peach:

Source:CA Court OK's searches of cell phones without warrant (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/03/BA5N1H3G12.DTL&tsp=1)


Text (edited) from article:

The California Supreme Court allowed police Monday to search arrestees’ cell phones without a warrant, saying defendants lose their privacy rights for any items they’re carrying when taken into custody. Under U.S. Supreme Court precedents, “this loss of privacy allows police not only to seize anything of importance they find on the arrestee’s body … but also to open and examine what they find,” the state court said in a 5-2 ruling.

The majority, led by Justice Ming Chin, relied on decisions in the 1970s by the nation’s high court upholding searches of cigarette packages and clothing that officers seized during an arrest and examined later without seeking a warrant from a judge.

The dissenting justices said those rulings shouldn’t be extended to modern cell phones that can store huge amounts of data.

Monday’s decision allows police “to rummage at leisure through the wealth of personal and business information that can be carried on a mobile phone or handheld computer merely because the device was taken from an arrestee’s person,” said Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar, joined in dissent by Justice Carlos Moreno.
[...]
“This has an impact on the day-to-day jobs of police officers, what kind of searches they can conduct without a warrant when they arrest someone,” she said. “It takes it into the realm of new technology.” [...] Although the court has never ruled on police searches of cell phones, Wilson argued that it has signaled approval by allowing officers to examine the contents of arrestees’ wallets without a warrant.


So, every app, every eBook, every email, every everything on your iPhone is now open to the cops if they arrest you, even if they arrest you on phony charges just just to look through your phone? Sure, the arrest gets tossed, but they now have your data. WTF?!

Someone tell me: where is this "land of the free" people keep talking about? It seems to be withering on the vine if it even exists at this point. :mad:

[bassman]

So, someone tell me: where is this "land of the free" people keep talking about?

It's never been that, Lou. Go ahead and forget that myth. :lol:

While I may not necessarily agree with this, I also don't see that big of a problem. I'm sure they won't bother with your phone if you're arrested for minor charges, but if you're taken in for pounds and pounds of drug trafficing, then yeah....it could lead them to bigger fish.

Looking through your phone isn't that big of a privacy issue when you consider they scope out your brown eye when you're on the way in. :lol:

[darth los]

What do you mean?

Of course we're free.

Free to do what they tell us. :rolleyes:

:cool:

[LouCipherr]

It's never been that, Lou. Go ahead and forget that myth.

I want to believe it, but what I see around me destroys the illusion.


While I may not necessarily agree with this, I also don't see that big of a problem. I'm sure they won't bother with your phone if you're arrested for minor charges, but if you're taken in for pounds and pounds of drug trafficing, then yeah....it could lead them to bigger fish.

Looking through your phone isn't that big of a privacy issue when you consider they scope out your brown eye when you're on the way in. :lol:

:lol: I get what you're saying bassman, but I respectfully beg to differ. If they had a warrant for searching my phone, that's one thing, but I see no reason why they should be able to dig through my phone just because I was arrested, especially without a warrant to do so. While you and I may not have anything of much importance on our phones, some people put their whole lives in their phones - what business is that of the cops? None.

It's just another brick removed from our personal walls of privacy, and to me, that's unacceptable. They can't search your car or your house without a warrant (or "resonable suspicion") - why is your phone any different? If I get arrested for drunk driving, why does the cop want to dig through my phone (and you know damn well now that they "can" they will)? It makes no sense.

Just sayin'... ;)



What do you mean?

Of course we're free.

Free to do what they tell us. :rolleyes:

Exactly.


Let's take it one step further: What if a person is arrested and carrying a laptop? Can the police inventory that too? What is the difference between a laptop and a cell phone? Nothing except the amount of plastic used.

Let’s say that the police are going on a fishing expedition of the staff of a particular attorney who happens to be defending someone rather unpopular... No more attorney/client privilege. Of course anything gathered as a result of this should be suppressed, but good luck with that.

[bassman]

They can't search your car or your house without a warrant (or "resonable suspicion")

You might as well forget that right now, dude. You would be surprised what qualifies as "reasonable suspicion". Seriously....it's bullshit. They can do what they want.

[BillyRay]

In the Government's defense, we ARE at war with Eurasia...

[slickwilly13]

I do not know about the other 49 States, but over here if you are arrested when pulled over. The police can strip your car down if they feel like it.

[darth los]

Well, as a Law student and paralegal it would seem to me that anything potentially containing personal/private/ incriminating information has to be reviewed with the highest scrutiny.

It gets really prickly whenever there is an expectation of privacy. Some expect that when they put/recieve certain information via cell phone that no one else is going to read it.

Just as it is in your home. You have a brick of cocaine in there because you expect that no one is going to come into your private residence and search it. Otherwise you wouldn't keep it there.

:cool:

---------- Post added at 03:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:49 PM ----------


I do not know about the other 49 States, but over here if you are arrested when pulled over. The police can strip your car down if they feel like it.

"The cops at night, are big and white....Deep in the heart of Texas ! " :lol:

:cool:

[LouCipherr]

You might as well forget that right now, dude. You would be surprised what qualifies as "reasonable suspicion". Seriously....it's bullshit. They can do what they want.

I know, and I agree. Unfortunately I've seen it happen (not to myself, thank god) and that's exactly the problem.


Well, as a Law student and paralegal it would seem to me that anything potentially containing personal/private/ incriminating information has to be reviewed with the highest scrutiny.


You would think, wouldn't ya? Unfortunately it doesn't seem that's the way these particular laws are going. If an attorney or paralegal was arrested, same thing could happen to them. It's horseshit, I say.


It gets really prickly whenever there is an expectation of privacy. Some expect that when they put/recieve certain information via cell phone that no one else is going to read it.

I know, it's sad when we have 'expectations of privacy' when, in this country, it's obvious they're trying to make the idea of "privacy" a moot point. :rolleyes:


I do not know about the other 49 States, but over here if you are arrested when pulled over. The police can strip your car down if they feel like it.

Yes, it's the same here - but that's your car. What if you jaywalk, then mouth off to the cop - what if he arrests you for that - does he have a right to dig through your phone? I think not. There's zero reasonable suspicion, so what gives? Just because you mouth off to the cop and end up arrested, that doesn't mean he can say, "hey, this dude might be a potential terrorist!" then search everything on your person.

..then again, that's what we do here in the good ol' US of A now, isn't it?

It's sickening, and annoying.

I don't know why I get worked up over this shit. It's not like it's going to change. I can bitch 'till I turn blue in the face and nothing will happen. Why do I bother?! :lol:

[slickwilly13]

The only way I could see a police officer in the right for searching through someone's cell would probably cause. Such as a murder supect or a sexual predator hanging around a daycare and taking pictures of kids at the playground with the phone. And was caught in the act doing it.

[LouCipherr]

The only way I could see a police officer in the right for searching through someone's cell would probably cause. Such as a murder supect or a sexual predator hanging around a daycare and taking pictures of kids at the playground with the phone. And was caught in the act doing it.

That would be probable cause, and I agree with you 100%. Unfortunately, this law takes it quite a few steps further than that. :duh:

[acealive1]

just say "hold on while i unlock it" then go ahead and blank your phone

[bassman]

If they get serious with this checking cell phones thing, I doubt you'll have an opportunity to erase it. They would most likely take it from you the moment you're under arrest on the street just like they do with any other potential evidence.

[Mr. Clean]

The key here is not to get arrested. No arrest. No worries. I don't have anything on my phone that would bother me if someone else seen it anyways.

Keep your nose clean and all is well.

---------- Post added at 08:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:02 PM ----------


Yes, it's the same here - but that's your car. What if you jaywalk, then mouth off to the cop - what if he arrests you for that - does he have a right to dig through your phone? I think not. There's zero reasonable suspicion, so what gives? Just because you mouth off to the cop and end up arrested, that doesn't mean he can say, "hey, this dude might be a potential terrorist!" then search everything on your person.

Just curious but what exactly would it hurt? I agree, there's zero reasonable suspicion of being a drug dealer for example but why does it matter? If you get arrested for jay walking and then fucked up because of pictures of your pot plants or bricks of whatever on your cell phone then your a fucking idoit and deserve whats coming to you.

[DeadJonas190]

Honestly, I don't have a problem with this. The man committed a crime and the cell phone was taken as evidence. When you are arrested, anything on your person can be taken and used as evidence and that's what the police did. It's not like they just pulled the guy over on a traffic stop and then searched his phone, he tried to sell drugs to a cop and got caught.

[EvilNed]

The key here is not to get arrested. No arrest. No worries. I don't have anything on my phone that would bother me if someone else seen it anyways.

Keep your nose clean and all is well.

If you believe that only guilty suspects get arrested, then I assume Mr. Clean is an ironic nick? I'll have some of what you're having!

[darth los]

Honestly, I don't have a problem with this. The man committed a crime and the cell phone was taken as evidence. When you are arrested, anything on your person can be taken and used as evidence and that's what the police did. It's not like they just pulled the guy over on a traffic stop and then searched his phone, he tried to sell drugs to a cop and got caught.


Yeah and that picture of your girlfreind or wife's snatch that she just sent you is going to be viewed by the entire precinct as well.

Embarassing/intimate things like that are things that are commonly on cell phones now days, especially among the younger demographic.

So let's get this straight. I have a brick of coke on me and that gives the cops the right to view my wife naked? I don't think so.

And you can counter by saying that kinda stuff shouldn't be on there but who is anyone to tell me what I should and shouldn't have on my phone as long as it's not illegal?

:cool:

[bassman]

Yeah and that picture of your girlfreind or wife's snatch that she just sent you is going to be viewed by the entire precinct as well.

Embarassing/intimate things like that are things that are commonly on cell phones now days, especially among the younger demographic.

WTF? Are you serious? I would personally never do something like that. I mean....how easily can someone intercept that? Just like email. If you're willing to send that sort of stuff over any kind of network, there's no reason you should have a problem with a cop seeing it. Because he probably isn't the first...

Then again, I'm not one of these "computer" phone people. I use a simple phone used for calling and receiving calls. I don't need any of that Iphone junk that makes the device everything BUT a phone. Don't get me started on text messaging. Fuckin kids. :mad:

:lol:

[darth los]

WTF? Are you serious? I would personally never do something like that. I mean....how easily can someone intercept that? Just like email. If you're willing to send that sort of stuff over any kind of network, there's no reason you should have a problem with a cop seeing it. Because he probably isn't the first...

Then again, I'm not one of these "computer" phone people. I use a simple phone used for calling and receiving calls. I don't need any of that Iphone junk that makes the device everything BUT a phone. Don't get me started on text messaging. Fuckin kids. :mad:

:lol:

Precisely why I singled out the younger demographic as that is common behavior for them.

Everyone knows that pics, e mail, etc. can be intercepted and viewed but they do it anyway.

Just looks at tiger woods, Brett favre, John edwards, Rex ryan. All these men in the last couple years have had things like that made public that were never intended for that purpose.

Trust me Bass. Everyone does it. Just like no one watches porn yet in this country alone it's like a hundred billion dollar a year industry.

Now whether they admit it or not is a seperate matter. :o

:cool:

[bassman]

Porn I understand because you're watching it privately. Most likely nobody will catch you watching porn if you're doing it in your own home. But if you're willing to send out naked pictures of you and your spouse well.....you might as well be making your own porn and broadcasting it across the net.

Again....it's not illegal. Just a poor choice if you choose to do so. So you would really have no room to complain about nude pictures if the cops search your phone. I would understand if you have bank account information or something. But again....if what you did is serious enough for them to go through your phone, you probably deserve it and most likely they'll get that information anyway...

[darth los]

But that's the point.

You're not sending it "out". You're sending it to your significant other with the expectation that no one else is going to see it.

Don't underestimate that whole expectation of privacy thing. It holds alot of weight in the courts.

Furthermore, a trial judge said it was ok, so what? Many head scratching decisions have been put forth by lower trial courts only to be overturned in on appeal. This is only one judges opinion and I'll put money on what political party he belongs to. :rolleyes:

:cool:

[bassman]

But that's the point.

You're not sending it "out". You're sending it to your significant other with the expectation that no one else is going to see it.

Don't underestimate that whole expectation of privacy thing.

I don't know the law side of things. That's your bag. I'm just saying that sending information across any sort of wireless or computer network pretty much automatically makes it public, so you should think of it as such. Just on a personal level, you should never expect those things to remain entirely private once they're sent out across the "airwaves".

That's how I see it, anyway. It's like Facebook. I could put up pictures of my child in the bathtub or my wife in a bikini and set it to "friend view only".....but do you think my friends and family will be the only ones to see it? I think Facebook even has a clause that says once you upload it, you no longer own it. I think of sharing ANY information the same way. Once we commit ANYTHING to email, messaging, etc we're taking a chance of someone seeing or stealing it. Even "secure" credit card charges are often hacked. So if you're willing to have it on a computer device at all....you shouldn't be complaining about a cop seeing it through this new law.

My .02 anyway...

[darth los]

You see guys?

This is how you have a disagreement. We both have opposing views we stated and we move on.

No snapping, insults or leaving the boards. Whoda thunk it right? :rolleyes:

:cool:

[LouCipherr]

Just curious but what exactly would it hurt? I agree, there's zero reasonable suspicion of being a drug dealer for example but why does it matter? If you get arrested for jay walking and then fucked up because of pictures of your pot plants or bricks of whatever on your cell phone then your a fucking idoit and deserve whats coming to you.

It's not "what it hurts" it's the fact that they have NO RIGHT to dig through my phone if they arrested me for jaywalking and mouthing off to a cop. Why should I be expected to let them dig through my phone without resonable suspicion and without a warrant? Mouthing off to a cop shouldn't result in an unreasonable search & seizure, should it?

This is exactly what this law states can be done. I have a major problem with that, as well as everyone else should, too.



If you believe that only guilty suspects get arrested, then I assume Mr. Clean is an ironic nick? I'll have some of what you're having!

This is the other major problem with this law. EvilNed is correct - does anyone out there honestly believe that only "guilty" people are arrested? If so, they're sorely mistaken. So, I'm arrested, though not guilty, and something on my phone is incriminating (no matter how "stupid" this is, some people do it) but if you were wrongfully arrested, you shouldn't be held accountable for anything else found because of that arrest & search - but we all know damn well this isn't going to happen.



Yeah and that picture of your girlfreind or wife's snatch that she just sent you is going to be viewed by the entire precinct as well.

Embarassing/intimate things like that are things that are commonly on cell phones now days, especially among the younger demographic.

So let's get this straight. I have a brick of coke on me and that gives the cops the right to view my wife naked? I don't think so.

And you can counter by saying that kinda stuff shouldn't be on there but who is anyone to tell me what I should and shouldn't have on my phone as long as it's not illegal?

:thumbsup:

Darth Los is correct on this, and it's similar to what I was saying above with the wrongful arrests.

On the flip side, I'm sure if you were arrested for having a kilo/brick of coke on you, they're going to want to see your phone to see who you're "dealing" with - that's one thing, but c'mon, people get arrested for a lot more minor things than a huge amount of drugs on them - what right does that give the cops to rummage through your phone or personal things? Because I get arrested for drinking & driving, that means you can take a look at my cell phone and my history of calls, apps I've downloaded, and pictures I have stored? I don't think so.

**edited to add: Los is right - this is how debates and differing opinions should be discussed. Civil, straight-forward, non-name calling, and everyone can agree to disagree, but still get their opinion/thoughts out there. :thumbsup:

[bassman]

I think you guys are WRONG. Bunch a yo-yos! Nobody wants you here, now leave!




:p

[LouCipherr]

I think you guys are WRONG. Bunch a yo-yos! Nobody wants you here, now leave!

:p

:lol: :p

[EvilNed]

Again....it's not illegal. Just a poor choice if you choose to do so. So you would really have no room to complain about nude pictures if the cops search your phone. I would understand if you have bank account information or something. But again....if what you did is serious enough for them to go through your phone, you probably deserve it and most likely they'll get that information anyway...

TBH Bassman... If it's NOT illegal, then this discussion is over and you lost. :p

[slickwilly13]

Do you have a picture of a snatch that you wish to share with the rest of the board?

[darth los]

Do you have a picture of a snatch that you wish to share with the rest of the board?

Shit i got plenty ! LOLz

But i doubt that would be in accordance with forum rules so...

yeah i know. They never let us have any fun. :(

:cool:

[Andy]

The key here is not to get arrested. No arrest. No worries. I don't have anything on my phone that would bother me if someone else seen it anyways.

100% agree. If you dont want police looking at your phone, dont get arrested. simple.


If you believe that only guilty suspects get arrested, then I assume Mr. Clean is an ironic nick? I'll have some of what you're having!

100% disagree. you have to do something to be arrested, you have to give a police officer reasonable grounds or suspicion. you would not get taken into custody otherwise. Suggesting that the police arrest innocent members of the public 'just for kicks' sounds like the weak excuse of criminal to me.

[darth los]

100% disagree. you have to do something to be arrested, you have to give a police officer reasonable grounds or suspicion. you would not get taken into custody otherwise. Suggesting that the police arrest innocent members of the public 'just for kicks' sounds like the weak excuse of criminal to me.

Well, as a minority male living inthe U.S. i have to 100% disagree with that.

Just Being a brown person is enough to arouse a cop's "suspicion" here. Because as we all know were all carrying guns, drugs, chicken and watermelon at any given time so they're totally justified in stopping me for just minding my business while walking home from the train and search the personal information that i have on my phone at the time. :rolleyes:

Again, that's MY life experience as a minority, that's my reality. I imagine that as white males what andy is saying would be the truth for them.

Here's a statistic for you guys:

In NYC : "In 2009, the New York Times indicates that New York City police utilized stop and frisk procedures (procedures in which an officer “pats down” a person’s outer clothing to detect potential concealed weapons) on nearly 490,000 blacks and Latinos. In comparison, only 53,000 whites were stopped in that same year.

Even more, police used force in 27 percent of the stops involving Latinos and 25 percent of those involving blacks, but only in 19 percent of the stops involving whites.

The rate of arrests resulting from a stop and frisk was almost the same in all cases. Blacks were arrested in slightly less than 6 percent of the stops and whites were arrested in slightly more than 6 percent of the stops.

The New York Times also indicates that about 1.7 percent of whites who police stopped possessed a weapon, while 1.1 percent of blacks stopped had one.

http://knowledgebase.findlaw.com/kb/2010/Nov/212328.html

So 437,000 more minorities were stopped than whites yet the whites had the higher percentage of instances where something illegal was found on them. Hmmmmmmm....


Police in major U.S. cities stop and question more than a million people each year – a sharply higher number than just a few years ago. Most are black and Hispanic men. Many are frisked, and nearly all are innocent of any crime, according to figures gathered by The Associated Press.

Anyone notice the "innocent of any crime part"? :confused:

:cool:

[LouCipherr]

*points upwards and nods head in agreement*

What he said.


100% agree. If you dont want police looking at your phone, dont get arrested. simple.

That simple, eh?

So there's never been anyone arrested for a "supposed" wrong-doing or for "supposedly" breaking the law, but then they're freed after a court hearing/trial because it turns out they had nothing to do with the crime? :rockbrow:

[bassman]

Yes, people have been arrested under false charges, but that's not to say it happens ALL THE TIME. I'm not even going to get into the race issue of it all, but from this cracka's opinion.....if you're in any possible teeny tiny position of maybe being arrested, you most likely put yourself in that situation. Whether it be hanging with the wrong crowd, drinking too much in public, etc.

[LouCipherr]

Yes, people have been arrested under false charges, but that's not to say it happens ALL THE TIME. I'm not even going to get into the race issue of it all, but from this cracka's opinion.....if you're in any possible teeny tiny position of maybe being arrested, you most likely put yourself in that situation. Whether it be hanging with the wrong crowd, drinking too much in public, etc.

Oh no, I'm not saying it happens all the time, but it does, and probably more frequently that most think.

Remember that here in the US, you're supposedly "innocent until proven guilty" - perhaps we're moving away from that now.

*shrugs shoulders*

[Mr. Clean]

The justice system is fucked with no way to fix it. Thousands of examples were people get the shaft all the time for no reason.

Alot of newer cell phones like the droid and iphone have pass code locks on the screensaver. The iphone even has a feature where if the pass code is wrong more than 3x it erases itself. These companies are here for people who worry about their information as much as you guys do. :p

---------- Post added at 01:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:43 PM ----------


Oh no, I'm not saying it happens all the time, but it does, and probably more frequently that most think.

Remember that here in the US, you're supposedly "innocent until proven guilty" - perhaps we're moving away from that now.

*shrugs shoulders*

Unless your Illegal, then we just deport your ass back to your country.

[darth los]

Yes, people have been arrested under false charges, but that's not to say it happens ALL THE TIME. I'm not even going to get into the race issue of it all, but from this cracka's opinion.....if you're in any possible teeny tiny position of maybe being arrested, you most likely put yourself in that situation. Whether it be hanging with the wrong crowd, drinking too much in public, etc.

Aw jason not you!?! :(

Ok, so if I'm walking home from the train station I'm asking for it? Following that logic, any woman in the street drunk out of her mind is just asking for the worst?

Driving while black or drunk while female. Same logic really.

But seriously buddy. It's amazing how a person's life experiences can skew their opinion's one way or another on issues such as this. Like i said, both of our positions might be true due to what we have experienced. I'm sure if I was a white male I wouldn't fear the cops either and would assume everything's kosher with them too.

Next we're gonna start with the "cops don't plant eveidence" shit too. :rolleyes:

:cool:

[bassman]

Hey....I said "in this cracka's opinion"! :lol:

Never once have I been walking down the street and a cop stopped me for no reason. Like you said....could be a race thing. I'm just speaking on my experiences.

Here's a good video that may help describe out different experiences.
JJ3dk6KAvQM?fs=1&hl=en_US

:lol:

[darth los]

BWhahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!! :lol:

That's from his killing me softly special. Great stuff.

I always say the funniest comedy is the stuff that 100% true.

:cool:

[bassman]

That's something I've always noticed between Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics when dealing with the cops. The Blacks and Hispanics always act incredibly nervous and eventually give themselves away, while the white guy acts like nothing is happening and goes on his way with an ounce of dank in his back pocket while the other two get hauled off to jail because of a roach.:lol:

And just for the record....that's not meant to be racist at all. Just something, like Chappelle, that I've noticed. Like Los always says....these sterotypes and general observations are there for a reason....

[LouCipherr]

Here's some other "food for though" that relates to this:

Can the cops ask you to prove that all the music and videos on your phone were purchased legally?

Can they go through all your data on “the cloud” too? Remember, some people may not store that sensitive data actually on the phone but rather on "the cloud." The phone has the ability to connect to the "cloud" - can the cops go through that too since it's being access through the phone that it's legal for them to rummage through since they arrested you? :rockbrow:

So now it's phones, but how long will it be before they say a search should be conducted of all places covered by the keys on your key ring that you're carrying?



I really do need to check into the Crackpot asylum, don't I? :lol:

[darth los]

That's something I've always noticed between Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics when dealing with the cops. The Blacks and Hispanics always act incredibly nervous and eventually give themselves away, while the white guy acts like nothing is happening and goes on his way with an ounce of dank in his back pocket while the other two get hauled off to jail because of a roach.:lol:

And just for the record....that's not meant to be racist at all. Just something, like Chappelle, that I've noticed. Like Los always says....these sterotypes and general observations are there for a reason....

Chappelle also has a skit called "when keeping it real" goes wrong. To that point, alot of minorities just can't stand to be "punked" or "played " for whatever reason. So any percieved slight, whether it be by law enforcement or not, they just can't let it go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1WRs09Xzr4


So now it's phones, but how long will it be before they say a search should be conducted of all places covered by the keys on your key ring that you're carrying?



I really do need to check into the Crackpot asylum, don't I? :lol:

Well, you just defined what the term "slippery slope means".

:cool:

[Andy]

Not to get too deep into the race thing, but this annoys me how the media puts out stuff like '25% of stops including blacks and 19% including whites' and intentionally make it sound like police go targetting people becuase of their skin colour, i worked in store security for a long time and i had the highest arrest rate on our team, and i never looked for skin colour, whather they person looked chavy or not, age, gender or anything else like that i looked at suspicious behaviour, how people acted and reacted and thats how i got more arrests that my colleagues but if you sat down and went through my arrest record you could say well 40% of the people andy stopped where black while 20% where white and so on and so on.. but the 2 statistics have absolutly nothing to do with each other, its just someone taking 2 random facts and sticking them together. Stuff like that just sets out to create tension and racial instability. Your right im not a minority so i cant talk from the same experience as you, but this kind of suggested institutionalised racism stuff really annoys me, alot of it is the media putting out statistics that actually mean nothing.

[SymphonicX]

In the Government's defense, we ARE at war with Eurasia...

What are you talking about?!? We've always been at war with EASTASIA....Eurasia are our allies and always have been. Long Live Big Brother!

[Publius]

The New York Times also indicates that about 1.7 percent of whites who police stopped possessed a weapon, while 1.1 percent of blacks stopped had one.[/I]

http://knowledgebase.findlaw.com/kb/2010/Nov/212328.html

So 437,000 more minorities were stopped than whites yet the whites had the higher percentage of instances where something illegal was found on them. Hmmmmmmm....


First, "possessed a weapon" and "something illegal was found on them" are not coextensive. Second, notice how the arrest percentages were almost identical? That seems to me to be the strongest indicator that the degree and reasonableness of suspicion prompting the initial stop is approximately equivalent.

[rongravy]

have you been talking to my old lady? because you just took the words out of my mouth. i just wish i'd have followed them with ACTION.


also, this is all a fine line no one has ever truly tread upon. if it were used for good, it would be awesome. however, it would also be used for naughtyness, so fuck it. no one can be trusted. hope we eventually evolve past this quirk...