Entrapment is a major weapon of police these days, just like illegal search and seizure. There have even been recent movements to do away with the Miranda rights. If they think drugs are involved, kiss your rights good-bye. warbi ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carla Hunt" <carla.hunt.b at oncogene.com> To: <Randi128 at aol.com> Cc: <dragaera at dragaera.info> Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2004 12:52 PM Subject: Re: the pitfalls of judgmental law enforcement > > > > > not that i necessarily believe in aiding speeders, but weren't the cops doing > something illegal? isn't hiding in the bushes to catch people called > entrapment? that's why you usually see them sitting in plain site with their > lights on. > > > > > Randi128 at aol.com > To: dragaera at dragaera.info > 01/08/2004 03:27 cc: > PM Subject: Re: the pitfalls of judgemental law enforcement > > > > > > > In a message dated 01/08/2004 3:20:16 PM Eastern Standard Time, > juliette_torres at yahoo.com writes: > > > > http://www.ahwatukee.com/afn/community/articles/040107d.html > > -- Police have been hiding in the bushes catching > > speeders along the road behind my house. Some guy put > > up a sign warning of a speed trap, and they arrested > > him for it. He then spent an hour handcuffed in their > > car while they tried to figure out what they were > > citing him with. They decided on Obstructing a > > Government Operation, but this was thrown out two > > weeks later on account of that article specifically > > stating, Obstructing a Government Operation by Threat > > or Use of Physical Violence. Putting up a sign is not > > violent. > > > > This reminds me strongly of the passage in The Phoenix > > Guards (pg. 44, PB): > > --- > > "Very well," said the Captain, "you are to enforce the > > laws of the Empire." > > > > "And what laws are these, Captain?" asked Aerich. > > > > "Heh," said G'aereth. "Use your judgement. If it looks > > illegal, then it probably is." > > --- > > > > The really ironic thing is that now there are huge, > > official signs along Pecos Rd. warning of "Intense > > Speed Enforcement, next 7 miles." > > > > ~Juliette Torres > > > > I don't know what they would charge him with, probably obstruction of > justice. I'm sure theres at least one lawyer on the list who could name the > specific > law. The bottom line is that the man who put up the sign was aiding people who > were breaking the law. If they were speeding through a residential > neighboorhood, someone could be killed or injured as a result of their > recklesness. > > John D. Barbato, OD > > > > >