Papers Please!

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Darth Wong
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Post by Darth Wong »

Alyrium Denryle wrote:Frankly Mike with a traffic stop you know what you did wrong already :P or the cop will tell you "You were speeding"
And suppose you weren't speeding, and the cop's radar gun was actually tracking the white corvette that zoomed past you in the passing lane? You still have to produce your ID.
My argument applies to specific cases where the cop is searching arbitrarily.
Then it is totally irrelevant to this case, where the cop was investigating a telephone tip.
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Post by Stormbringer »

Alyrium Denryle wrote:
And even then you're better off being the reasonable one, not demanding a warrant or what not.
Then there is the problem of my constitutional rights being violated... It is a no-win for me.
Oh puh-lease. Asking for ID is such a trivial things, no one is going to take your overblown claims seriously.
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Post by Alyrium Denryle »

Stormbringer wrote:
Alyrium Denryle wrote:
And even then you're better off being the reasonable one, not demanding a warrant or what not.
Then there is the problem of my constitutional rights being violated... It is a no-win for me.
Oh puh-lease. Asking for ID is such a trivial things, no one is going to take your overblown claims seriously.
I was refering to the car search.... I will conceed the ID issue.
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Post by BlkbrryTheGreat »

Stormbringer wrote: Oh puh-lease. Asking for ID is such a trivial things, no one is going to take your overblown claims seriously.
I don't think anyone is actually claiming that its unreasonable for the poliece to ask f or an ID; rather the main issue of contention is whether they have the right to arrest you solely on the account of refusing to provide an ID.
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Post by Spanky The Dolphin »

Yes, they do. because you are interefering with police procedures.
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Post by Stormbringer »

BlkbrryTheGreat wrote:
Stormbringer wrote: Oh puh-lease. Asking for ID is such a trivial things, no one is going to take your overblown claims seriously.
I don't think anyone is actually claiming that its unreasonable for the poliece to ask f or an ID; rather the main issue of contention is whether they have the right to arrest you solely on the account of refusing to provide an ID.
Depends on the circumstances, but in general I'd say yes.
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Post by Phil Skayhan »

Has anyone read the documents on the page, in particular the Nevada Supreme Court ruling and especially the Amicus Brief filed by the ACLU?

The majority opinion of the Nevada Supreme Court is repleat with fallacies for example:
Majority opinion wrote:Judicial notice is taken that in the year 2000, fifty-one officers were murdered in the line of duty.[19] These homicides occurred as follows: thirteen during traffic stops/pursuits, twelve during arrest situations, ten during ambushes, eight during responses to disturbance calls, six during investigations of suspicious persons, and two during prisoner transport.[20] Of the suspects who committed these killings, twenty had been previously arrested for crimes of violence, nine had previously assaulted a police officer, and twelve were on probation or parole.[21] Moreover, 15,915 officers were assaulted that year.[22] If the officers referenced in these statistics had known the identity and history of their attackers prior to being assaulted or killed, perhaps some of these incidents could have been prevented.

and

Most importantly, we are at war against enemies who operate with concealed identities and the dangers we face as a nation are unparalleled. Terrorism is "changing the way we live and the way we act and the way we think."[24] During the recent past, this country suffered the tragic deaths of more than 3,000 unsuspecting men, women, and children at the hands of terrorists; seventeen innocent people in six different states were randomly gunned down by snipers; and our citizens have suffered illness and death from exposure to mail contaminated with Anthrax. We have also seen high school students transport guns to school and randomly gun down their fellow classmates and teachers. It cannot be stressed enough: "This is a different kind of war that requires a different type of approach and a different type of mentality."[25] To deny officers the ability to request identification from suspicious persons creates a situation where an officer could approach a wanted terrorist or sniper but be unable to identify him or her if the person's behavior does not rise to the level of probable cause necessary for an arrest.
The dissenting opinion replied:
Dissenting wrote:Despite the above authority, the majority erroneously affirms Hiibel's conviction by reflexively reasoning that the public interest in police and public safety outweighs Hiibel's interest in refusing to identify himself. I am not persuaded. And I am uneasy about the reasons given by the majority in justifying its holding.

The majority concludes that the governmental interest in police safety outweighs an individual's interest in his right to keep private his identity. The majority relies upon FBI statistics about police fatalities and assaults to support its argument. However, it does not provide any evidence that an officer, by knowing a person's identity, is better protected from potential violence. In Terry, the United States Supreme Court addressed the issue of officer safety by carving out an exception to the Fourth Amendment to allow a police officer to make certain that the person being detained "is not armed with a weapon that could unexpectedly and fatally be used against him"[20] when the officer reasonably believes "he is dealing with an armed and dangerous individual."[21] The purpose of such a search is to ensure the detainee is not armed with a weapon that could be immediately used against a police officer, not to ensure against a detainee's propensity for violence based upon a prior record of criminal behavior.

It is well known that within the context of a Terry stop an officer's authority to search is limited to a pat-down to detect weapons. The officer may investigate a hard object because it might be a gun. An officer may not investigate a soft object he detects, even though it might be drugs. Similarly, an officer may not detect a wallet and remove it for search. With today's majority decision, the officer can now, figuratively, reach in, grab the wallet and pull out the detainee's identification. So much for our right to be left alone or as the majority says—to wander freely and anonymously if we choose.

The majority avoids the fact that knowing a suspect's identity does not alleviate any threat of immediate danger by arguing that a reasonable person cannot expect to withhold his identity from police officers, as we reveal our names to different people everyday. What the majority fails to recognize, however, is that when we give our names to new acquaintances, business associates and shop owners, we do so voluntarily, out of friendship or to complete a transaction. With the heightened security at airports, for example, passengers are required to provide picture identification. But non-passengers are free to wander that portion of the airport that is unsecured without showing an ID. Purchasing an airline ticket is a business transaction, and the airlines may condition the sale on knowing who is the purchaser. In contrast, being forced to identify oneself to a police officer or else face arrest is government coercion—precisely the type of governmental intrusion that the Fourth Amendment was designed to prevent. Furthermore, it is not necessary to have one's name on a credit card or checkbook in order to effect a purchase. A dedicated libertarian, for example, might deliberately eschew financial institutions, credit cards and checkbooks, engaging solely in cash transactions, in order to jealously protect his individual rights, especially his right to be anonymous, to be left alone, to wander freely.

Finally, the majority also makes an emotional appeal based upon fear and speculation by arguing that the police would be powerless to protect innocent children from sex offenders, to enforce restraining orders, and to enforce curfews for minors. What the majority fails to recognize is that it is the observable conduct, not the identity, of a person, upon which an officer must legally rely when investigating crimes and enforcing the law.

The majority further appeals to the public's fear during this time of war "against an enemy who operates with a concealed identity." Now is precisely the time when our duty to vigilantly guard the rights enumerated in the Constitution becomes most important. To ease our guard now, in the wake of fear of unknown perpetrators who may still seek to harm the United States and its people, would sound the call of retreat and begin the erosion of civil liberties. The court must not be blinded by fear.
I included most of the dissenting opinion because it addresses many of the argument made earlier.

The ACLU's Amicus Brief argues:
ACLU wrote:In enacting and enforcing Section 171.123(3), the State of Nevada has circumvented the Fourth Amendment’s
probable cause requirement by authorizing its law enforcement officers to arrest an individual seized on the basis of reasonable suspicion, and with respect to whom probable cause is lacking, based solely upon the individual’s exercise of his constitutionally protected right to remain silent under such circumstances. By criminalizing the mere refusal to identify oneself, the State impermissibly infringes not only the individual’s Fifth Amendment
privilege against self-incrimination, as addressed by other respected amicus, see Brief of Amicus Curiae Electronic Frontier Foundation, but also, as discussed below, his right under the Fourth Amendment to remain “secure in his person” by refusing to answer questions posed to him by the police until such time as the police have probable cause to effect his arrest. Moreover, where probable cause is otherwise absent, the Fourth Amendment precludes the State from legislating a regime in which silence alone is sufficient to transform mere reasonable suspicion into the
probable cause necessary to arrest an individual. Because that is both the purpose and effect of Section 171.123(3), the statute is unconstitutional, and the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nevada must be reversed.
The ACLU brief goes on to cite many precedents that support its position under the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. I realize that all this precedent citing is a fallacy in of itself but what else can we expect in a situation like this.

I don't believe the officers acted unreasonably in restraining Hiibel and his daughter for their own safety, but arresting him for refusing to provide ID is not right. How would his ID facillitate the officer in determining whether or not this was the person observed by the witness hitting the female passenger? Is his ID even relevant to the situation? While the officer may have had reasonable suspision, Hiibel's silence/refusal cannot turn that into probable cause.

I believe that Hiibel will win his case before the SCOTUS.
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Post by Darth Wong »

Privacy in public places is not a guaranteed right, nor should it be. The judge who wrote about a man's "right to keep private his identity" would do well to explain where the fuck that right comes from.
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Post by SirNitram »

Alyrium Denryle wrote:
SirNitram wrote:Alyrium, how many cops are picking up people on total arbitrary choices? You are assuming this is common, but you have yet to show this.
I am not assuming by any means that it is common, the vast majority of police officers would never dream of doing something like that(I come from a family full of police oficers on my moms side... so I most definently do not hate cops). All it takes is one asshole who has had a bad day though.
Wow, humans will act like humans. What is your proposed suggestion? We further cripple their ability to deal with legitimate crime so no innocent man has to go through the horrible, terrible trauma of handing over his ID. Yea, we all know how producing a peice of plastic designed for this purpose can leave lasting scars.
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Post by Phil Skayhan »

Darth Wong wrote:Privacy in public places is not a guaranteed right, nor should it be. The judge who wrote about a man's "right to keep private his identity" would do well to explain where the fuck that right comes from.
The Fourth Amendment. In this case, the judge is citing Terry v Ohio (1968) which states (again appealing to its own authority):
The Fourth Amendment provides that 'the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated * * *.' This inestimable right of *9 personal security belongs as much to the citizen on the streets of our cities as to the homeowner closeted in his study to dispose of his secret affairs.
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Post by Darth Wong »

Interesting. I see a passage about "unreasonable search and seizure", but nothing about the "right to keep private his identity". Is this one of those "creative interpretations"?
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Post by Phil Skayhan »

Probably focusing on the "papers" (ID) part of the Fourth Amendment. However, it does seems as though the Terry decision has been expanded through subsequent rulings.

According to the ACLU brief, in United States v. Place (1983): most significantly for purposes of this case, the police officer may question the individual detained, but the individual “need not answer any question put to him; indeed, he may decline to listen to the questions at all and may go on his way.”

And in Adams v. Williams (1972), the court only stated that an officer may inquire about a person's identity. It said nothing about the individual being compelled to respond. I haven't read this decision yet so I'll get back to this if it says something different than the impression the ACLU gives.

I'll also look to see if I can find anything else related to being compelled to produce identification in public.
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Post by Phil Skayhan »

The only thing I found in Adams v. Williams is this:
The Fourth Amendment does not require a policeman who lacks the precise level of information necessary for probable cause to arrest to simply shrug his shoulders and allow a crime to occur or a criminal to escape. On the contrary, Terry recognizes that it may be the essence of good police work to adopt an intermediate response. A brief stop of a suspicious individual, in order to determine his identity or to maintain the status quo momentarily while obtaining more information, may be most reasonable in light of the facts known to the officer at the time.
Not very conclusive either way.
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Post by Sharp-kun »

Phil Skayhan wrote:Probably focusing on the "papers" (ID) part of the Fourth Amendment. However, it does seems as though the Terry decision has been expanded through subsequent rulings.
You're ID is not technically yours as far as I'm aware.
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Post by EmperorChrostas the Cruel »

Once AGAIN.
YOU DO NOT OWN ANY PERMIT THE GOVERNMENT ISSUES YOU!
A drivers license is a PERMIT to opeate a motor vehicle ON PUBLIC ROADS.
IT IS NOT YOURS! It belongs to the state, like your passport, and can be taken.
All permits must be surrendered to the issuing authority apon demand.
Like your passport, ( a PERMIT to travel to certain other countries) even if you paid for it, the state can take it away.
State and Federal ID is different, as it is ID, not a permit.
If this asshole had just a bit more brains, he could have claimed he left his wallet at home, and didn't have ID, and since he wasn't driving, he didn't need any ID. "I can't give you ID, or breast milk, as I have neither.I am not driving, or nursing so I left both at home."
Hmmmmmm.

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Post by Slartibartfast »

EmperorChrostas the Cruel wrote:Durandal.
If a cop goes into a bar, where you have to be over 21 to BE there legaly, in the first place, an the cop thinks you look under 21, he is well within his rights to ask for ID. They routinely ask everyone for ID to cover their asses against a lawsuit, charging racism, or some other form of discrimination.
Because none of the white men with grey in their beards were asked for ID, the cops must be racist. :lol:
Wouldn't that be "ageist"?

Anyway, I think asking for an ID is a good compromise. I would like that to be done here more often, instead of the "I'm sure we can work it out, how much money you got" routine I'm used to.
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Post by Slartibartfast »

OTOH, it would also be nice if once they get your ID you're just questioned, instead of automatically guilty.
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Post by Phil Skayhan »

EmperorChrostas the Cruel wrote:Once AGAIN.
YOU DO NOT OWN ANY PERMIT THE GOVERNMENT ISSUES YOU!
A drivers license is a PERMIT to opeate a motor vehicle ON PUBLIC ROADS.
Agreed, but (splitting hairs here) the officer was asking for his ID, not his driver's license, registration, and insurance card.

Also, the first time the officer asked Hiibel if he had any identification, Hiibel responded, "No. Why would I need that". The second time, he said, "Naw..." and so on.

Now I just watched the video again. There is something very misleading with the subtitles at 1:14. The text reads that the officer is asking how Hiibel got home yesterday. That is not correct. What the officer is actually asking is, "How much alcohol did you have today?"

On being compelled to identify one's self, the closest thing I found was Katz v US (1967) and Davis v Mississippi which has been taken to mean the following
Individuals have a categorically different and lesser expectation of privacy in their fingerprints, visual images, or voice prints -- even when their production is compelled -- because they are personal attributes that are routinely exposed to the public at large in daily life. Katz v. U.S., 389 U.S. 347, 51 ('67) (finding a lesser expectation of privacy in personal effects that 'a person knowingly exposes to the public, even in his own home or office').

The Fourth Amendment provides no protection for what 'a person knowingly exposes to the public'. Like a man's facial characteristics, or handwriting, his voice is repeatedly produced for others to hear. No person can have a reasonable expectation that others will not know the sound of his voice, any more than he can reasonably expect that his face will be a mystery to the world.
This supports the police's ability to fingerprint, take mugshots, and record a detained person voice and/or image in efforts to determine identity.

We all agree that there is also a lesser expectation of privacy in a car. The problem here may be as simple as the fact that Hiibel was not in the car when the officer arrived and began questioning him. However, I have not seen that put forth in any of the arguments I've read so far.
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Supreme Court transcript

Post by Phil Skayhan »

I hope this will not be considered thread necromancy. I thought it best to continue the existing thread rather than start a new one.

2004--Mar--22: US Supreme Court Oral Arguments (188 KB pdf)

They hit both sides pretty hard as should be expected. Dolan was repeatedly asked why a "neutral fact" such as a name should be withheld from the police. Hafel was hammered with the established precedent that conclude that the police may ask any question they want but the citizen under suspicion does not have to respond.

I honestly can't tell from reading this which way the court will go. I think it's faily obvious that Scalia will uphold the Nevada ruling while Ginsberg will not. The rest? I guess we'll know in June.

I highly recommend reading the transcript.
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Post by Bob the Gunslinger »

Alyrium Denryle wrote: It is a combination of several things . Not only principle, but also a simple question... "Why the fuck does he want to know" If some cop pulled you over, checked your ID, looked at your name, then let you go, you would probably be pretty miffed wouldnt you?
(I hope I'm not raising the dead.)

No. I most certainly would not be miffed. I would pleased to know that the police are doing their jobs. Just pulling a would-be criminal over is sometimes enough to spook them out of committing whatever crime they are planning.

Having lived in a neighborhood that was suffering from a string of home-invasion rapes, I can tell you that I'm all for more police interaction with the populous.
In Berkeley, a sociopathic hobo was following my wife (then girlfriend) home at 2 am when she ducked into a donut shop to avoid him. He waited just outside the door staring at her, while she called me and asked the clerk to call the police. Fortunately, an officer happened by soon after and scared the guy off, another benefit of a policeman willing to investigate someone "suspicious."

Just seeing the police out and about is quite a comfort, and (one hopes) a deterrent to criminals. Showing your ID is hardly a hassle to put up with compared to the benefits that the police provide.

Police have asked for my ID a number of times. I find that the response to friendly small-talk is almost-always positive. However, I can assure you that you will not get a positive response if you start all that "I don't need to show you my ID" shit. You're just an ass.
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