[YossariansRight]

(09-04-2014 08:55 AM)Sp5 Wrote:  

(09-04-2014 06:52 AM)YossariansRight Wrote:  

(09-04-2014 06:48 AM)runsonmagic Wrote:  

(09-04-2014 06:20 AM)YossariansRight Wrote:  

(09-04-2014 06:06 AM)runsonmagic Wrote:  

If a cop comes to your door, you don't have to show ID?

That's good to know. Hadn't heard that before.

If someone has a link on when you do and don't have to show ID, let us know.

There were many videos put out by the ALCU on YouTube dealing with all types of stuff like this. They were quite educational.

I've watched a few. I knew cops have to identify themselves as cops and show ID if requested, can't enter, or search without warrent, etc. but I didn't know the ID thing. You're only required to show ID if driving, correct?

Nope. Fresh off the press: If you're riding a bike they can get you too:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massach...headline_3

There's law to say that nobody, in the absence of real facts creating probable cause or a reasonable suspicion of crime, has to identify themselves to the police.

The case was Kolender v. Lawson 461 U.S. 352 (1983). Lawson was an eccentric black guy with dreadlocks who used to take long walks, often through white neighborhoods around San Diego. He was constantly stopped and asked for ID by the police. He had no ID, so he was repeatedly arrested.



Finally, his case went to the Supreme Court, which ruled that nobody had to provide ID or even their name unless the police knew facts that amounted to a reasonable suspicion that the person had committed or was going to commit a crime.

I remember that Lawson had his 15 minutes of fame, I saw him on David Letterman's show back then.

The question is, do the police have facts amounting to reasonable suspicion of you and you don't know it? For example, they could have the description of a criminal which closely matched your appearance. Not "white guy" but "white guy aged around 20-30 dressed in jeans and a white shirt in the vicinity of . . . "

You're right! But the bottom line is, does anyone really want to get into a pissing contest with the police? Better to avoid them as much as possible, IMHO.