unlawful search

[mytreazure]

Pennsylvania- My son was recently stopped by police for being at a stop sign for 4-5 min. Police thought that was suspicious, this is what I was told when the officer called me to ask for permission to search vehicle. My son who is 18 had to told the no. I was stunned and upset and started to ask question and told the officer this was harassment. He told me that if he had to impound the vehicle I would pay towing and impounding fees, when I started to ask questions and told him this was harassment he said I take that as a no and hung up. My son walked home from where they left him, when he got home and mentioned in general conversation not aware of what had happened, that the officer searched the car anyway and then had the car towed. Is this legal? Not only that but he had followed my son from my daughters house who had a friend who had the same officer harass her by telling her while cleaning out her car parked in front of her house, she looked like she was doing something suspicious and ask to search the car when she said no, he said he would either search the car or take her to jail on a $20 parking ticket warrant. She let him search. I need to know what we can do, we don't want to visit my daughter anymore for fear this cop will harass us.

[Hot Topic]

So, why was your son sitting so long at the stop sign? I would expect for him to have to wait if it was a stop sign for a train or vehicles that took longer to move through the intersection, but you don't mention that in your post. Why did your son refuse to allow an inspection of his vehicle?

[mytreazure]

He was changing the CD in the CD player. They did impound the car got a search warrant didn't find anything and returned the vehicle. The stop sign sits on the side of my daughters home which is where we pull up to drop her and unload grocery, which is what he was doing this night. When she got out of the car he then started looking for the CD. The officer was watching him from the time he pulled up.

[las365]

You and your son and daughter should park in legal parking places instead of in the street to do your loading and unloading and general non-driving activities.

Perhaps you should befriend the officers who apparently regularly patrol the area where your daughter lives. I imagine their presence significantly enhances her safety in her neighborhood.

[mytreazure]

Thank you, but I don't see a need to be friend someone who is harassing my family. The same officer just ticketed my daughter car because it was 2 feet from the curb instead of 3. He also followed two of her girl friends home into different townships pulled them both over(this was on different days) told them their back plate light was out, when they both got out to check their back plates were not out, ran their names and asked to search their cars. Both agreed, they had there small children with them and were scared. We will only visit her when he is not on duty(we know his shift). My daughter has decided to move out of the area when her lease is up in a couple of months.

[HomeGuru]

Originally Posted by mytreazure

Thank you, but I don't see a need to be friend someone who is harassing my family. The same officer just ticketed my daughter car because it was 2 feet from the curb instead of 3. He also followed two of her girl friends home into different townships pulled them both over(this was on different days) told them their back plate light was out, when they both got out to check their back plates were not out, ran their names and asked to search their cars. Both agreed, they had there small children with them and were scared. We will only visit her when he is not on duty(we know his shift). My daughter has decided to move out of the area when her lease is up in a couple of months.

**A: sounds like you have an attractive family. Yes, one that attracts cops.

[lisamont72]

Why did your son tell them that they couldn't search the car?

[HomeGuru]

Originally Posted by lisamont72

Why did your son tell them that they couldn't search the car?

**A: because he did not want to raise additional suspicion. But it backfired.

[ESat]

A right unpracticed is a right lost.

We all have the right not to be searched unless there is just cause. You should never agree to have your car searched unless they have a warrant or probable cause. If we all allow them to search when they want to this will lead to them just stopping cars at random, how long until they just start searching our houses without cause? How long until they stop you on the street and strip search you because they felt like it?

[CdwJava]

Originally Posted by ESat

How long until they stop you on the street and strip search you because they felt like it?

Have you SEEN many of the people on the street? I know that I wouldn't want to be strip searching most of them!


- Carl