More “Where Are Your Papers” Nonsense

Friday, July 08, 2005

More “Where Are Your Papers” Nonsense

By Rob on July 8, 2005 at 03:07 am

HELENA, MT (AP) -- For motorists wondering whether police are working on a quota system, an answer can be found in Montana.

A new policy requires state troopers to stop at least one vehicle an hour, whether the driver has done anything wrong or not. But the driver doesn't have to be ticketed, so police officials say it's not a quota system.

State police Colonel Paul Grimstad said the rule that took effect on Monday is intended to reduce traffic accidents and drunken driving.

Right. Like I said before, who cares about the fourth amendment? Just so long as we can up drunk driving arrests.

I guess it all hinges upon your definition of what "unreasonable" is as the fourth amendment protects us against "unreasonable" searches and seizures. To me, being stopped by an officer for doing nothing wrong is pretty unreasonable.

Comments

I had a friend that beat a DUI because the officer did not have probable cause to stop the vehicle therefore anything that he discovered after that was inadmissable. I wonder how Montana is getting around the probable cause laws.

richard on July 8, 2005 at 05:08 am

If the rule has only been in force since Monday, it hasn’t been tested constitutionally yet. I have a hard time believing it will pass muster when such a test comes. “Probable cause” isn’t the applicable standard, though—it’s the lower threshhold of “reasonable suspicion”. However, “it’s 11:59, I better pull over this white van” doesn’t meet either standard by any stretch of the imagination.

kirk on July 8, 2005 at 06:08 am

I’ve driven through Montana overnight in a blizzard to ski in the morning.

Since I was the ONLY car on the road, what’s the chance I would have been stopped?

the Whistler on July 8, 2005 at 07:07 am

what they never say about bullshit like this, and the random “valid license checkpoint” crap is that they’ve calculated how much revenue they’re gonna generate in fines, vehicle confiscations, etc....and that has everything to do with whey they do it in the first place. But try and get them to admit it that’s their reason.

Carl B. on July 8, 2005 at 08:07 am

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