Searched w/o Consent

[two22s]

I'm beginning to come to peace about it, feeling empowered in the fact that I handled the situation in a well composed and respectful manner. At the same moment, I still feel an urge to fight for what's right. How many people that should have been leaders to society sit in jail or are just socially disabled because of this type of harassment? The past 3 U.S. presidents would have been unacceptable in office if their adolescent flirtation with mj had ever landed them in my and many others' situation.
This is just going to be on my mind for a while. I appreciate the advice, everyone. I'll update on my course of action, if any. Thanks.

 

[JJScorpio]

Most likely your previous arrest and the pile of blunt guts gave them what they felt was probable cause there were drugs in the vehicle. And it very well may be.

Let it go. Cops can take things personal and they will just have other officers watching you. And eventually everyone does something wrong. There's no need having someone watching you....

 

[hamstring]

2 22s
Hey brother nice job you handled it well and to never drive by where cops are seen is crazy no one does that only in their minds. So easy to find faults in someone’s actions 20 20 hindsight.

I have to agree you are young and you will see much more of this but you are also right and you could try and take it to trial. I took a seat belt offence to trial asking for a “jury of my pears” after about the 5th visit of them moving it slowly forward the judge "of a small town" looks me in the eye and says you will be here many more times if you want to take this to a jury and I knew I was done.

I took the judge as my jury, which was my second option, brought my evidence and got to question the officer myself.
The officer admitted, "accidentally I think" he didn’t see me put my seat belt on during the stop and that I did have it on when he approached my vehicle. The States attorney’s head just dropped she new it was over and I had won.

The reason I tell you this is even after it was dismissed the judge had the nerve to say, "I have to dismiss this but a police officer doesn’t pull you over for no reason."

Yeah, never the police are always right even when they are wrong FUCK!!!

The system is stacked against you brother it is but if you want and can show up to court 200 times you may find some justice but unlikely.

 

[DirtySouthTo707]

Dude you had a busted tail light and blunt guts in plain sight? No wonder you got pulled over and serched.If your gonna smoke blunts in your car fix your freakn tail light! And unless you have a butt ton of money or a real good lawyer you better leave well enough alone.Wise up dude dont blame stupid pigs for your screw ups and dont give them ANY reason to pull you over.

 

[supermanlives]

forget about it. i once got a cop in trouble for hasseling me. him and his cop buddies made my life hell. i finally moved

 

[Abja Roots]

Best thing you can do is get out of the car and lock the doors and keep you trunk locked. Say nothing.

They are allowed to walk around and look through the windows. Anything that's in plain sight is fair game. Leave nothing out. Same thing applies if you open the door to your house for example. If they can see a bong (for example) in the kitchen that's grounds for probable cause and a subsequent search. So you step out and lock the door behind you.

For me I won't open the door. If they want in they better have a warrant. You did well considering the situation. Like you learned. You can't reason with them. It's strictly about the quota.

Don't even raise any ruckus. Leave it be. They won't prosecute their own. Even if they killed you, it wouldn't matter. Look at Oscar Grant.

 

[two22s]

I can definitely agree that having the tobacco in my vehicle and a tail light out was not smart. But is tobacco really "probable cause"? And isn't a search warrant necessary, period?
Everyone's words have lead me more toward the keep quiet and move on feel and I appreciate that.
And I will sleep well while the pigs pile their own plate of bad karma. thanks for the good words.

 

[johnnyla]

If you have weed then don't get pulled over. That means avoiding police interaction which means car is 100% legal and no weed in car. Keep it in the trunk. Don't drive near police hang outs and don't tell them how to get in your car. I know it sucks, i mean, this is America, but this is the reality.

 

[-~Wind Walker~-]

two22s,

I think they were operating on these premises listed below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reasonable_suspicion

Reasonable suspicion is a legal standard standard of proof in United States law that is less than probable cause, the legal standard for arrests and warrants, but more than an "inchoate and unparticularized suspicion or 'hunch' ";[1] it must be based on "specific and articulable facts", "taken together with rational inferences from those facts".[2] Police may briefly detain a person if they have reasonable suspicion that the person has been, is, or is about to be engaged in criminal activity; such a detention is known as a Terry stop. If police additionally have reasonable suspicion that a person so detained may be armed, they may "frisk" the person for weapons, but not for contraband like drugs. Reasonable suspicion is evaluated using the "reasonable person" or "reasonable officer" standard, in which said person in the same circumstances could reasonably believe a person has been, is, or is about to be engaged in criminal activity; it depends upon the totality of circumstances, and can result from a combination of particular facts, even if each is individually innocuous.

It seems your prior conviction and blunt guts were enough "reasonable suspicion" to search your vehilce.

-~WW~-