Driver arrested for having empty compartment in his car...

reply to post by lovebeck


Do your self a favor and hide a used condom or 'used' sex toy over your 'contraband'. Be it coffee, a pop, pack of cigarettes, magazine, whatever. If people made it disgusting to a police to do their job, some of the simple ones could be weeded out.

Big IF though.

alfa1

...according to a new Ohio law that prohibits secret compartments.

“No person shall knowingly operate, possess, or use a vehicle with a hidden compartment with knowledge that the hidden compartment is used or intended to be used to facilitate the unlawful concealment or transportation of a controlled substance,” the law states.

Cant blame the police for that one.
Blame the lawmakers for making that law.

I believe that the police would still have to prove intent, would they not?

I blame BOTH the lawmakers for writing the law, and the police for actually enforcing it. I also blame the voters for their own obvious stupidity and laziness in allowing these types of things to occur.

I own a 34 foot motor home that is full of hidden compartments.

These are normal spaces in walls and cabinets.

Does this mean the cops in a state with this type laws can arrest everyone that owns a motor home.

I wonder if the law mentions whether secret includes factory concealed areas, only after market or even defines what it is. Another 'to be determined' on whimsy I'll bet.

Again here, just as the police officer who went after the guy smoking on the college campus, why blame the officer? The officer didn't write the law, the law makers did. It's like standing is a store arguing with the clerk rather then his manager.

You want to change stuff, go after the "managers", not the “staff”...
Get the judges who make unjust rulings thrown off the bench.
Get politicians who make unjust laws removed from office.
Remove your state attorney from office.
Get trouble maker lawyers who defend unjust actions de-barred.

Ultimately when stuff like this happens blaming the officer is silly, put the blame in the right place... With ourselves for allowing laws like this to exist, and the folks who pass them to have the power to stay in office and pass more unjust laws.

I would advise the guy with the hidden compartment in his car to go for a jury trial.

All he needs is one person on the jury to think this law was BS to win the case.

Even though the law states 'knowingly', I would imagine most officers will just arrest instead of using common sense. Might as well waste more tax money.

roadgravel
Might as well waste more tax money.

That's the problem, it doesn't “waste tax money” it actually makes the state money. For example, my state made of $30million in law enforcement revenue this year with a 98% conviction rate. That's unheard of, and should tell you that its not about justice, but about making money. That's why states are increasing the number of these silly laws, and the sizes of their police forces. That's why states are implementing “collections courts”, and states such as mine have publicly admitted this is true. That's why they are installing “red light cameras”, increased roadblocks and “no refusal” laws, Real ID tracking camera's, that's why every little legal infraction now is blown into a full scale issue.

TheRedneck
There is a precedent: paraphernalia.

Great Point. Paraphernalia.

As as example, while in college, I would borrow mom's conversion van from time to time for it's obvious purposes. lol

And since she smoked cigarettes, and I hated the smell, whenever I borrowed it for a little road trip, I would take some incense and an inscent holder that had Velcro on the bottom.

It was this little hockey stick shaped piece of wood with a few designs on it. Some stars, moons, and a leaf (guess what kind hehe). all painted in sparkly gold.

Going through the shady side of town one time to pick up a buddy, I got pulled over on a BS charge. Obviously a skinny white guy with an afro, 2 hot Asian girls, and a black buddy rolling through the ghetto in a van at 2am was suspicious. Hey, that is where our other buddy lived. Although I was doing the speed limit, the drug dog appears and searches the van..

All there was to find was the inscent holder, WHICH THE COPS CALLED DRUG PARAPHERNALI!! ffs, I know.

how an inscent holder can be called that has been bugging me for close to 20 years.. lol just because a leaf was painted on it...

** I was a stoner then ** just never stupid enough to get caught,, vans have great hiding places. And keeping baking sode sprinkled on the carpet GUARANTEE that NO DOG COULD SMELL SQUAT .. lol

reply to post by defcon5


If the person is not found guilty, it is a waste of money.

The clause about knowing it is for drugs doesn't help any in this law because all it takes is a cop lying that he smells pot, or a drug dog giving a false hit, and your done, no drugs necessary to prove you had drugs and therefore knew.

Also there is no sufficient definition of hidden here. You leave a gap between two boxes in your trunk then piss off a cop and they'll take six to eighteen months of waiting and sweating on a court case and tens of thousands in legal costs out of your life just to acknowledge that you aren't the guy they are looking for.

This is frightening.

reply to post by lovebeck


The statute reads that the defendant must have intent to use the secret compartment for drugs. That's an element of the crime which must be proven.

If the defendant kept his mouth shut, it'll be nearly impossible for a conviction.

reply to post by indianaf150


That's exactly it though, an empty vessel has a million and one uses, and this law should be completely useless in every case without a confession, so it's just an excuse to arrest people who can't be convicted of anything and force them to plea bargain. We can't all have a trial afterall- the courts are packed even now and most defendants are never tried by a jury.

Just when I thought it could not get any worse.......
So, I could get arrested for smoking and having my smokes in a 'secret' compartment, (So the kids would not find them). Is there a correct way to tie my shoelaces? Crossways or single lace bar? anyone know? Which hand do I use to blow my nose? what colour handkerchief? Where is the best place to keep my wallet? Am I allowed to keep a wallet?

defcon5
Again here, just as the police officer who went after the guy smoking on the college campus, why blame the officer? The officer didn't write the law, the law makers did.

"Just doing my job" didn't work at Nuremberg. And it does not let these pieces of # off either.

defcon5

roadgravel
Might as well waste more tax money.

That's the problem, it doesn't “waste tax money” it actually makes the state money. For example, my state made of $30million in law enforcement revenue this year with a 98% conviction rate. That's unheard of, and should tell you that its not about justice, but about making money. That's why states are increasing the number of these silly laws, and the sizes of their police forces. That's why states are implementing “collections courts”, and states such as mine have publicly admitted this is true. That's why they are installing “red light cameras”, increased roadblocks and “no refusal” laws, Real ID tracking camera's, that's why every little legal infraction now is blown into a full scale issue.

So, when is it time to point the finger at those who enforce these silly laws?

THEY are the ones that have the power to change things, not us peons.

A law is just written word until it is ENFORCED.

alfa1

...according to a new Ohio law that prohibits secret compartments.

“No person shall knowingly operate, possess, or use a vehicle with a hidden compartment with knowledge that the hidden compartment is used or intended to be used to facilitate the unlawful concealment or transportation of a controlled substance,” the law states.

Cant blame the police for that one.
Blame the lawmakers for making that law.

Certainly the Police ought to be blamed.

There's such a thing as discernment and discretion.

Just about every vehicle has hidden compartments...it's deliberately designed into popular vehicles...take a spare wheel for example...that's usually stored, hidden away, under the boot / trunk carpet, beneath which is a false trunk bottom...deliberately designed to CONCEAL the spare wheel. In my vehicle there are also, factory designed hidden compartments beneath the seats, to store things away in.

This so-called law is obviously another oppressive tactic to use to beat people around with...by it's definition, if you drive around with a concealed space in your vehicle, such as a spare wheel well, you're a criminal and can then be 'processed'.

What next..if you have a closet or storage space in your home, you're arrested for 'apparently' growing Cannabis or having a meth lab...but were caught 'in between batches'???

The cops are Human beings, not automatons on the fritz with one bit short of a byte!

So glad I live in the UK.

My car would get me banged up for life.


Dunno what my last owner used my car for but its got more hidden areas than the millenieum falcon!

HanzHenry
reply to post by lovebeck

 

Badges ARE REDCOATS


IN every WAY.


None with HONOR and INTEGRITY. and a Love for the once Free Republic would arrest someone for this

Actually if you read your history up the Redcoats have a lot more integrity and honour than most more LEO do now. Hense why a good number of Officers and NEO resigned at the start of the war.

reply to post by lovebeck


Just as an addendum here, when this is taken to court by the ACLU, specific charges of slander should be brought against Lt. Michael Combs for the following quote,


“We apparently caught them between runs, so to speak, so this takes away one tool they have in their illegal trade,
The law does help us and is on our side.”

With no ability to prove that Norman Gurley illegally traffics contraband in that secret compartment, then Lt. Combs statement is, by any definition of the legal term, slander and charges should be brought against him for such.