Cops can now search your car without a warrant in Pa. (illegal, brainwash)

[All American NYC]

If the police stop you in Pennsylvania, they don’t need a warrant to search your car.
And soon, you could be in trouble even if they find nothing.
The state Supreme Court ruled last week that police are allowed to search vehicles without a warrant. The state General Assembly, meanwhile, is moving forward with a bill that would give cops the authority to arrest people caught with “secret compartments” in their vehicles, even if there is nothing illegal in those suspicious containers.

This seems like an intrusion on the Fourth Amendment.

[T-310]

Appeal the law.

[theunbrainwashed]

Not only that, but the PA Tea Party is pushing a bill to make it illegal to have secret compartments in your car. Just goes to show you that the GOP =/= freedom. Although, why would you have secret compartments in your car in the first place is beyond me, anyway

Besides, police still need probable cause to search your vehicle without a warrant. If I get pulled over for speeding, the police will not have probable cause to search through my car. Officers can't just casually look into your car and say they have probable cause to sarch your car when it's clean

[Icy Tea]

Judges against the people yet again.

[ChrisC]

Originally Posted by theunbrainwashed

Not only that, but the PA Tea Party is pushing a bill to make it illegal to have secret compartments in your car. Just goes to show you that the GOP =/= freedom. Although, why would you have secret compartments in your car in the first place is beyond me, anyway

Let's say I'm a crossdresser and don't want anyone to know. A secret compartment is just the ticket. Point is, what the hell does it matter why you'd want a secret compartment? It nobody's business unless you are doing something illegal.

Originally Posted by theunbrainwashed

Besides, police still need probable cause to search your vehicle without a warrant. If I get pulled over for speeding, the police will not have probable cause to search through my car.

All they need to do is say they have probable cause, and legally they will. Nobody is going to believe you because the police personel are the authority figures, professionals, and experts. You are simply a subject. That's the sort of thing a warrant is supposed to prevent.

Originally Posted by theunbrainwashed

Officers can't just casually look into your car and say they have probable cause to sarch your car when it's clean

They can say any damn thing they want to. Again, that's was the purpose of a warrant, basically to get a second or third opinion. But you police state types don't feel it is needed. So here we go down the road of the "officer" holding the K-Y and you bending over on demand.



As for a "secret compartment"... what is that? That could be a closed plastic tote in your back seat under a jacket. A secret compartment is whatever they say it is. The space under you spare tire is a secret compartment. It's simply another excuse to subjugate a nation of sheep.

[Think4Yourself]

Originally Posted by theunbrainwashed

Besides, police still need probable cause to search your vehicle without a warrant.

"Probable cause" is easy as all the cop has to do is claim you were behaving suspiciously and the definition of suspicious is anything the cop can imagine so it is literally no barrier at all and can be used as an excuse for indiscriminate searches.

[legalsea]

For those of you interested, here is the actual decision:

http://www.pacourts.us/assets/opinio...81959.pdf?cb=1

I have yet to read it, but shall.

[cruxan]

one of the gestapo states, it figures

[Longford]

The first paragraph of the decision makes it clear: the police need probable cause. The court based its decision on judicial precident at the federal level, from what I'm reading. Anyone read it differently?

[ChrisC]

Probable cause may as well be interpreted as "if I want to." Again, the idea of a warrant was to get a second or third opinion as to whether there is probable cause. When you put interpretation of probable cause to one man holding a handgun, nightstick, handcuffs, and a tazer, you are walking on very dangerous ground.

If the citizens of that state allow this to stand, they are complete fools.