10 Rules for Dealing with Police Worksheet
Neill Franklin, a retired police officer from Maryland, calls the film an important introduction to police academy training. „I am a police officer. I come straight from the street,” Franklin says. „One of the things I`ve always talked about with the police academy instructors is making sure that we keep our oath, that we serve the U.S. Constitution, and that we respect it. Most people think it`s a great piece for kids and adults, but I see it as a great tool for police academies. They also cannot search sealed containers without a search warrant or without your consent. If you give them an invitation, they can sue you for anything they find in sight, or in some cases even rummage around. Silverman says there are unintended consequences if you don`t know the rules of what to do if you`re stopped by the police. „The term is racial targeting,” Silverman says. „Once you opened your mouth, you didn`t fulfill the rule with your position,” says narrator William „Billy” Murphy, a former Baltimore judge and defense attorney best known for his role in „The Wire.” Most of these scenarios are largely under your control, but if you find yourself in a situation where you are a victim of violence, theft, sexual abuse or drug overdose, knowing your rights will not help much.
These situations are unfortunate and it`s always hard to believe they could ever happen, but imagine being in a situation where someone could have helped you but didn`t. „10 Rules,” a docudrama produced by the nonprofit flex your rights in D.C., offers free legal advice with unrestricted dialogue. Producers Steven Silverman, 33, and Scott Morgan, 30, RESIDENTS of DC, created the film to help urban residents understand their constitutional rights. The following tips are intended to inform you about your rights as a citizen in your dealings with law enforcement agencies and in no way imply that misconduct occurs or should be suspected in all circumstances. But given the recent violent episodes across the country, Hupy and Abraham`s lawyers think it`s important that you know how to deal with the police and understand your rights. It sounds obvious, but think about every episode of COPS you`ve seen where someone just made the situation worse because they were stupid and did illegal things before law enforcement. Do not break a law in front of the police if you are already talking to them or in front of them. A police car is driving after him. The man gets excited when he stops and whispers under his breath, „I`m tired of [expletive].” Otherwise, stop talking, do not answer questions, you have the right to remain silent. Ask for a lawyer. You can continue to ask questions, but they will do anything to get admission from you.
Ask to speak to a lawyer. You have the right to legal representation, so use it. „Most people are constitutionally illiterate,” says Silverman, a former Cato intern. „Most people give up their rights completely during a meeting with the police.” It seems obvious, we`ve all heard it at least once during a movie or a crime show. If you are stopped by the police in a vehicle, all you have to do is give the officer your driver`s license and registration. 5. You can decline most searches. Officers must have an important reason to search you, your home or vehicle. You can and must apply for an arrest warrant for all searches. Keep in mind, however, that an agent can perform a „tap” if they are concerned that you have weapons. Do not physically resist an officer, but calmly declare that you do not accept any further search without a search warrant. 10: You don`t have to let the police enter your house.
„I realized that the majority of people are confused and overwhelmed by how to handle a meeting with the police,” Silverman said as he stood in the lobby of the Cato Institute, the libertarian think tank where the film premiered Wednesday. If you want to protect yourself, don`t be afraid to protect others. I`m not saying you should call the police every time someone walks or throws a pack of chewing gum. But if you can help someone, have courage and do it and call the authorities in a safe place. You never have to accept a search, so don`t do it. Even if the agents threaten you with K-9 units, or if you feel you need them because you`ve been asked and you have nothing to hide, there are many reasons why you shouldn`t. The Fourth Amendment protects against unwarranted searches of homes, cars, and even your pockets. If they can`t see it, they can`t force you to accept without a warrant. A spokesman for the DC Police, who had not seen the film, said the rules were good rules to follow. „However,” he said, „if you have nothing to hide and the police do some kind of investigation, you should tell them everything they need to know.
The police are there to protect society and the community in which we work. 9. Ask for an arrest warrant to enter your home. If no arrest warrant is presented by the police, you can refuse entry. When an arrest warrant is obtained, officers may search only the fields indicated on the arrest warrant, which are limited exclusively to the elements of the arrest warrant. An arrest warrant allows police to enter the home of the person listed in the warrant if they believe the person is inside. Ask the officers to show you the arrest warrant under the door or through the observation window. If you decide to talk to the agents, leave the house and close the door behind you. The worst thing you can do if you find yourself in a situation with the police is to give them reason to believe that you are aggressive.
No one likes to be arrested, but they have a job to do, and the officers who protect us deserve that respect. I didn`t select that order, but the video doesn`t really focus on 9. They just show a few shady guys in a downtown neighborhood. Since there are certain agreements between dormitories and apartments, the police may have the right to enter your home if the landlord needs it in emergency situations. However, it is my understanding that a landlord would need an arrest warrant before doing so. In such a case, there is nothing you can do. But if the police only want to enter by chance, they are not allowed to do so. The 40-minute film is simple. Murphy, the judge who became the actor, is frank in his advice. „There are a lot of good police officers doing what needs to be done,” he says. „And I don`t need to tell you that there are also a little too many police officers who don`t respect the basic rights of the innocent.” Since I am not a lawyer and I am not qualified to give advice on legal distinctions within the court, consider this breakdown as a reference that you can study for yourself.