Have you ever had your car searched by the Police

[TimMcG74]

Not officially searched, but when I was 18 a cop, without warning, reached across me and removed my ash tray. He sifted through it and said the ashes resembled "the consistency of marijuana ash". I laughed out loud and asked him exactly what that meant. He tossed the dirty ash tray in my lap and told me to move on.

 

[hillman]

Back in 93, I think, I was going to college in Tennessee. I purchased two handguns while I was living there. Over Christmas break I decided to drive home and wanted to show my father my new guns. I knew nothing about traveling with guns so I took them apart and hid the pieces all over the car.

I had some car trouble in New Jersey that made my car stall if I went under 65 or 70, so I got stopped in a construction zone. I explained to the officer who made me demonstrate by trying to idle. It stalled, so he bought it, but then, because I was barely 21 , he said, "I'm just going to check your trunk real quick, I'm sure you don't have anything to hide so you don't mind, right?"

I pointed to my back window, which had my criminal justice text book in it from my college. He nodded, said "get out of here", and left. I nearly had to change my pants after that.

 

[BBQ.Uncle]

Twice.

Once right after entering Mexico at Laredo. July 1982. I'm driving. Federales asked why we were visiting Mexico (I was with my mother & younger brother and basically just going for a nice drive with a possible overnight) & then we were asked to exit the vehicle and sit in a little office for an hour while they tore the car apart & threw the contents on the ground. We continued on our way but didn't stay over. I was glad to be back in TX that evening.

Second time. Garden State Pkwy in New Jersey in March 1988. NJ state trooper pulls me over for speeding. I'd been going the limit, but then tried to pass someone & got caught. I think it was about 67 in a 55. Asks me for license, reg, etc. Looks in my car and notices a box on the floor of the back seat. Asks me what's back there. I'm a dumb kid with zero knowledge of my rights, so I answer honestly. "A few bottles of wine & liquor from a party I attended in MA over the weekend. I didn't want them to go to waste. I haven't been drinking and the bottles are capped."

He asks me if I realize it's illegal to have an open container in my vehicle. Um...the containers aren't open and aren't within my reach. Doesn't matter. He opens the back door and pulls the box out and tells me to get out of the car. He puts me in the back of his cruiser & runs my info. I'm clean. He could have been a bigger azzhole, I suppose and jacked me up on the alcohol. Instead, he tells me to open my trunk and put the bottles in there until I get home. Then hands me a ticket for doing 63 in a 55 and tells me I should thank him as he just saved me some money by reducing the speed.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Twice.

Once right after entering Mexico at Laredo. July 1982. I'm driving. Federales asked why we were visiting Mexico (I was with my mother & younger brother and basically just going for a nice drive with a possible overnight) & then we were asked to exit the vehicle and sit in a little office for an hour while they tore the car apart & threw the contents on the ground. We continued on our way but didn't stay over. I was glad to be back in TX that evening.

Second time. Garden State Pkwy in New Jersey in March 1988. NJ state trooper pulls me over for speeding. I'd been going the limit, but then tried to pass someone & got caught. I think it was about 67 in a 55. Asks me for license, reg, etc. Looks in my car and notices a box on the floor of the back seat. Asks me what's back there. I'm a dumb kid with zero knowledge of my rights, so I answer honestly. "A few bottles of wine & liquor from a party I attended in MA over the weekend. I didn't want them to go to waste. I haven't been drinking and the bottles are capped."

He asks me if I realize it's illegal to have an open container in my vehicle. Um...the containers aren't open and aren't within my reach. Doesn't matter. He opens the back door and pulls the box out and tells me to get out of the car. He puts me in the back of his cruiser & runs my info. I'm clean. He could have been a bigger azzhole, I suppose and jacked me up on the alcohol. Instead, he tells me to open my trunk and put the bottles in there until I get home. Then hands me a ticket for doing 63 in a 55 and tells me I should thank him as he just saved me some money by reducing the speed.

Exiting/entering countries has a very different set of rules and they literally can strip search you legally. The US Constitution is null and void there.

The "open container" laws aren't what we commonly think they are. We bought all the booze for our wedding (open bar) and when we moved to CT, we took the remaining bottles with us. When we moved back to MA we did the same plus whatever else we had acquired. Ditto when we moved from an apartment to our house. [All of this was early 1970s.] And we'll do the same when we leave MA for good hopefully in a few years.

Meanwhile some online research numerous years ago and found that CT law defines "open container" as one where the seal was broken. So legally you can't transport 1/2 used bottles of liquor anywhere.

You, I and most others would interpret "open container" to mean no cap on the bottle but legally that does not seem to be what some/most laws say.

Putting it in the trunk always is the smart way to travel. Out of sight, out of mind. Thus fewer questions to answer or get jammed up over.

 

[mark056]

My car was searched once back in 1976 when I was 18. It was probably the worst experience I ever went through. I was parked at night in a cemetery with my girl friend, when a cop in plane clothes opened my door and pulled me out of my car. He flashed his badge, but I had trouble believing that he was really a cop, so I asked to see it again. It was at this time I noticed another plane clothes cop at the car that was parked next to mine, I knew this cop, so now I figured that this other guy was a real cop, but it seems that me asking to see his I.D. again really pissed him off. He started searching my car, and when I asked him what he was looking for, he told me to shut the fuc* up and that he would be the one to ask questions. About a minute later I asked him again, and he went nuts and beat the sh*t out of me. After he cuffed me the other cop picked me up off the ground and told me not to worry, that I would only be charged with idle and disorderly conduct, but when I got to the station the police L.T. seen how messed up my face was and told me that I was also being charge with A.B. on a P.O.

So what happened, were you charged? Great story but you left us hanging.

 

[clampett]

So what happened, were you charged? Great story but you left us hanging.

My lawyer explained to me how the process would work. First thing he did was file a complaint against the cop. A few weeks after I was arrested my friends and I testified before a court clerk or a court magistrate in Woburn district court. And as my lawyer predicted, the complaint was dismissed. Then about 5 months later I was tried and found guilty of A.B. on a P.O. and idle and disorderly conduct. I was tried before a judge with out a jury and sentenced to a week in the house of correction and I was given a several hundred dollar fine. Again this was the result that my lawyer predicted.
My lawyer appealed that verdict, and about a year later I was tried before a jury in Cambridge Superior court. I was found not guilty of A.B. on a P.O. and I was found guilty of idle and disorderly conduct. My sentence was a fine of several hundred dollars and probation.

 

[rivet_42]

Exiting/entering countries has a very different set of rules and they literally can strip search you legally. The US Constitution is null and void there.

Yeah. I don't count a search at the border as "being searched by the police". As far as that goes I got some extra-special attention from Canadian customs & border protection at one point. My passport got extra scrutiny, they wanted to know what other states I had lived in besides Mass., and they looked through my trunk, the passenger compartment of my car, and my laptop bag and suitcase before finally telling me "welcome to Canada." I have no idea what triggered that, maybe I was just the tenth car through the line or something.

 

[Lionking]

i wasn't exactly searched by a cop but I was returning to the US from Canada and customs decided to tear my VW Beetle completely apart because I guess i fit the profile of a drug user(I did). I had been backpacking and climbing in Canada and had backpacks, sleeping bags and a tent so there was a lot of stuff to go through. Before I left, I had been reading and found that matches are the most important survival item you can carry. This caused me to put a box of waterproof matches in the toe of my hiking boots followed by my rag wool hiking socks so I wouldn't forget them. This customs guy got down to my boots and pulled that box of matches out. He held it up and shook it and a giant smile crossed his face. When he opened the box and found matches his face fell like the old man of the mountains. He told me to pack up and go home.

 

[MoAmmoPlease]

Pulled over on 95 by a jack booted state cop for speeding and boy was I speeding. I thought I was required to tell him so I said I think you should know I have legal firearms in the trunk and I will open the trunk if you would like. He said NO let's just leave the trunk closed.

He handed back my papers and said thanks for making me aware of the firearms and have a nice day. Very lucky cause I was flying and he just let me go.

 

[Darksideblues42]

About 12 years ago, I was heading back from NH just before the 4th of July. A co-worker who lived in NH was planning a big party as he was getting married, his son had graduated, etc. I had followed him up to Phantom Fireworks and chipped in for a ton of stuff.

We loaded it all into his car, shook hands, he drove home to NH, I drove home to MA.

No sooner did I cross the border into MA I see blue lights.

I pull over, am directed to follow a second statie off the highway at the next exit.

Pull off, he tells me to exit the vehicle. They WILL be performing a search as I was observed at a Fireworks store and Fireworks are illegal.

They tore my car apart, removed the back seat, found nothing but a new in box model rocket kit for my cousin. When they reinstalled the seat, my seat belts were under the seat, they said "Should not have wasted our time then"

Another time, something like 18 years ago, I had to head into Worcester to pay a supplier. Because of divorce reasons, he requested cash, so my boss had handed me $3000 to pay him. Had a letter on company letterhead for him to sign and all that good stuff.

It just so happened that there was a water main break so there was a traffic detour. As we don't seem to like to actually use signage to handle detours, I ended up in a neighborhood where I was the only white fellow around, and my car was one of the few with all the wheels on the ground. A fine Worcester officer observed me driving slowly around the block a couple times, and decided I needed to be stopped. Pulls me over, asks what is in the bag, explain the situation, despite the company letterhead saying I was paying for ornamental trim (and being in the company van) he declared I was clearly buying drugs since I was a "Caucasian male in a primarily Hispanic and Asian neighborhood known for drug trafficking with a large sum of cash"

I stepped out of the van when asked, was patted down, placed in the back of his car (no cuffs) and he called for another car.

The other car shows up as the first officer was going through the van (which was totally empty except for bubble wrap sheets, tape, and shrink wrap) he asks for details from the first officer, looks over the letter and the cash, asks for my story, opens the rear door of the car and tells me to take my bag, get in the van, go to the Third intersection, turn left then make my third right and I will get to my destination, and to tell his brother that he had told him that his soon to be ex wife was bad news.... He then proceeded to read the first officer the riot act.

Good times.

 

[mac1911]

I have had my car/truck searched a few times. All with out consent. All times came up with nothing except one time my truck was a absolute dumpster. Clearing the trash he found a old container which contained some sort of a forgotten lunch. Officer flipped off the lid and gagged heavily..... the supervisor and I laughed. Search ended , ticket for no plate light carried on.
My truck is usually a frigging disaster area. Tools, kids toys, gun stuff, targets, ear muffs , coffee cups from home.... I won't consent to a search. Gun stuff is always secured by the law. I have only one gun issue search which involved a truck full of 5 other trap shooters gear and a large ammo order in the bed.
Officer who pulled me over was dead set on finding something wrong. Another officer showed up asked if we where going to the state shoot at minute man .....yes. pretty much ended the encounter instantly other than my passenger educating them on homemade non serialized handguns. He cited laws both state and federal dropped a few names and that ended with out issue also.

 

[Skysoldier]

I know a guy who got searched once when entering Los Alamos. A Coleman Lantern can trigger radiation detectors, because the mantles are treated with Thorium.

 

[spcantwell]

I know a guy who got searched once when entering Los Alamos. A Coleman Lantern can trigger radiation detectors, because the mantles are treated with Thorium.

Ever read "the radioactive boyscout"? He used a huge pile of those and some chemical reactions to concentrate the thorium into something strong enough (he thought) to create a nuclear reactor. If I am not mistaken, his parents garden shed (where he did it all) is the only private residence to ever be declared a supperfund site...

Sent from my KFSOWI using Tapatalk

 

[warwickben]

Yes a lot in high school lol .

 

[ThePreBanMan]

I was stopped for running a stop - at about midnight. It was at that point a legit stop as I did a rolling stop at the sign... Was driving home from GF's house at the time via back roads of Acushnet. Not another soul on the roads. They asked I step out of the vehicle - which I did. I don't know why they asked me to but I complied. Upon doing so I locked the doors (nervousness and force of habit really was the cause) - which apparently gave them grounds to search the vehicle. They tore it apart. Even disassembled the sub-woofer box I had in the trunk and searched inside of it. They didn't bother to reassemble for me either. They searched the glove box, ash tray, and every compartment. I had a ratchet and socket set in the trunk and the looked in every socket... They found nothing. Acushnet's finest right there... Entire ordeal had me held for close to 3 hours. This was about 20 years ago.

My distrust of and distaste for the police and their abuse of authority was born that day.

If something like that happened today I would film it on my phone and post it to you tube immediately. Then contact a lawyer... But things are different today. I have the technology and the means... didn't have that as a teenager.

I think the police have always behaved this way. Modern technology is finally affording us the ability of bringing it to light.

 

[Terrys]

Is this true, that locking the doors is grounds to search a vehicle?

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Is this true, that locking the doors is grounds to search a vehicle?

Not legally.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Meanwhile some online research numerous years ago and found that CT law defines "open container" as one where the seal was broken. So legally you can't transport 1/2 used bottles of liquor anywhere.

This is the common definition of "open container" for the purposes of vehicular law. An empty bottle/can is also an "open container".

Some restaurants have a heat sealing machine that can be used to seal leftover wine in plastic bags, with the claim (untested as far as I know) that this "reseals" the bottle so it is no longer an opened container.

 

[ThePreBanMan]

To add to my prior post - IDK why they asked me to step out - or why they wanted to search the vehicle. I know it wasn't legal looking back on it. Maybe it's because I was an alterna-teen in a ripped flannel shirt, w/ long hair and a wallet chain.. So maybe they wanted to give me a hard time because they thought I was a punk. IDK... I just don't know... But they certainly had no grounds.. I should have gotten a ticket and been on my way.

Some of these more rural towns in the Southcoast still have that reputation of police behavior. Acushnet and Freetown in particular.

Another time I was in a buddy's car driving through Freetown and we were pulled over - for no apparent reason. Had been following us for a while. They searched our big gulp drinks for booze. Upon recollecting the event with others in school I was told NEVER drive through those towns at night. They all had similar stories...

Another time we were in Freetown and we had just parked on the side of the road. We were walking up to profile rock. A Freetown cop stopped us and told us we were trespassing on public property. He then made us pick up trash in the area before sending us on our way... WTF...

I've never had a positive encounter with police in those towns.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Then about 5 months later I was tried and found guilty of A.B. on a P.O. and idle and disorderly conduct. I was tried before a judge with out a jury and sentenced to a week in the house of correction and I was given a several hundred dollar fine. Again this was the result that my lawyer predicted.
My lawyer appealed that verdict, and about a year later I was tried before a jury in Cambridge Superior court. I was found not guilty of A.B. on a P.O. and I was found guilty of idle and disorderly conduct.

Under the old system, an individual who selected a judge (bench) trial was automatically entitled to a jury trial if (s)he did not like the verdict. The jury trial was de-novo, meaning that it started from scratch - it was not an examination of the firs trial, but a new one. The system was changed in the interest of efficiency, and defendant who loses a bench trial must prove reversible error to be granted a second trial by jury.

 

[dcmdon]

Is this true, that locking the doors is grounds to search a vehicle?

Not legally like Rob mentioned.

But what does that mean to you?

Can you sue them and expect to win? Probably not.

However, if they DID find anything and tried to prosecute you, the evidence could be ruled as inadmisable. Probably. Which is why you should never consent to a search. If you consent, anything that is found is admissible. If you do not consent and they do it anyway, they need to prove that you gave them reasonable articulable suspicion.

Don

 

[Skysoldier]

Some of you might think I am idiot, but at least twice I was asked by officers if I minded if they searched my car.

Both times I told them "No Sir, help yourself."...and both times the said thank you and sent me on my way without a search.

 

[Mountain]

With all the worry of transporting firearms within the law, but possibly in a way that could land you in trouble with ignorant LEOs, I thought I'd poll this community and see how many of you have actually had your vehicle searched by the Police.

Thanks,

Don

Yes. I think it had something to do with being 18 and vodka bottles were rolling out from under the seat. Of course those were the days when if you were not actually DUI you were lectured and the booze was confiscated for 'later analysis'.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Yes. I think it had something to do with being 18 and vodka bottles were rolling out from under the seat. Of course those were the days when if you were not actually DUI you were lectured and the booze was confiscated for 'later analysis'.

Yup, in the 1970s-early 1990s all we ever did (muni PD) with teenagers drinking (underage) was confiscate the booze and send them on their way. We had 55 gal drums at the PD where we put the stuff (other than open containers, they were dumped out in front of the kids). At BC PD, booze that was confiscated was stored at the PD and at Christmas time, every PO had the opportunity to buy a ticket for $5 and got a random bottle/case of beer, with all the money collected going to Catholic Charities. Beer kegs that were confiscated at BC were turned back for the deposits by the PD again the money went to Catholic Charities.

At the muni PD this all stopped and zero tolerance went into effect after one particular incident. A guy stopped by the PD and chatted with one of the cops (emphasis: he was NOT stopped by the PD, but stopped on his own to talk) and ~1 hour later he drove drunk into a tree killing himself on a curved road. Parents blamed the cop for not arresting him, but cop swears that the kid wasn't drunk when they were talking and any alcohol consumption happened AFTER they parted. [I don't know if the parents sued the PD or not.] Chief laid down the law, OUI = arrest, no ands, ifs or buts.

 

[Lank]

Yes and I earned each search

 

[ThemBones]

Yes, when I was about 16yrs old they took case of unopened beer in trunk but let me go. Would never happen today.

 

[clampett]

Under the old system, an individual who selected a judge (bench) trial was automatically entitled to a jury trial if (s)he did not like the verdict. The jury trial was de-novo, meaning that it started from scratch - it was not an examination of the firs trial, but a new one. The system was changed in the interest of efficiency, and defendant who loses a bench trial must prove reversible error to be granted a second trial by jury.

So you are saying that I could have skipped the bench trial and gone strait to a jury trial?
If that is the case, then it seems like my lawyer was just trying to generate extra revenue by representing me on 2 trials instead of one. Before the bench trial my lawyer told me that I had no chance of an acquittal, he said the district court judges always side with the police.

 

[josh2600]

Twice. Three times if you count the state trooper that shoved half his body into my Camaro, with zero regard for his own safety(3 adult males in the car at 1am), whilst yelling incoherently about "weed", but we never got out of the car or anything on that one, he RAN back to his car and took off. Drug seeking behavior imo

 

[Rob Boudrie]

So you are saying that I could have skipped the bench trial and gone strait to a jury trial?
If that is the case, then it seems like my lawyer was just trying to generate extra revenue by representing me on 2 trials instead of one. Before the bench trial my lawyer told me that I had no chance of an acquittal, he said the district court judges always side with the police.

Correct - you are not forced to take a bench trial except in matters where you are held "responsible" or "not responsible" rather than "guilty" or "not guilty". This is why, despite the constitutional guarantee of a trial by jury for all matters in excess of $20, you are not entitled to a trial for a civil traffic infraction.

Under the old system, the best chance of an acquittal was bench followed by jury. Direct to jury would deprive you of the small chance you would win the bench trial.

Conventional wisdom is that if a point of law is in question, go for a bench trial. If a matter of fact is in question go for a jury.

 

[mark056]

Twice. Three times if you count the state trooper that shoved half his body into my Camaro, with zero regard for his own safety(3 adult males in the car at 1am), whilst yelling incoherently about "weed", but we never got out of the car or anything on that one, he RAN back to his car and took off. Drug seeking behavior imo

He was probably trying to score a roach for himself and when he realized you didn't have any, got the hell out of there muy pronto