Slashdot Mirror
U.S. Supreme Court: Public Anonymity No Right
Anonymous Arrestee writes "Today the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that anybody can be compelled at any time to identify themselves, if a police officer asks. People who refuse to identify themselves, even if they are not suspected of a crime, will be arrested. Sound Orwellian? The Supreme Court also said people who are suspected of another crime might not be subject to arrest for not revealing their name. On this latter point, someone will have to bring a separate case. And the SCOTUS is at liberty not to hear any case it doesn't like. The case is Hiibel v. Sixth Judicial District Court of Nevada [pdf]. Previous Slashdot story here."
That's sort of police work is done. You ever heard the phrase "tell it to the judge"? That's how your complaint can be rectified. Yea, I'm sure the police are framing people as a matter of policy.
Unlike what you see in the movies or on TV, the police are law-abiding citizens like almost everybody else. I guess even the police aren't immune from the paranoid, black-helicopter crowd on slashdot. You can laugh your ass off, because you are able to sit behind your comfortable computer knowing there are people putting their lives on the line for ungrateful scumbags like yourself.
SIG:Slashdot: indymedia for nerds.
At the risk of karma-whoring, I would also, seriously, like to thank Mr. Hiibel for standing up for his and our rights. As his site says, we all lost the right to 'be left alone' today.
It takes guts, and money, to take a case all the way to the Supreme Court, especially one like this in which Mr. Hiibel really has nothing to gain by doing so.
It's pathetic that the SCOTUS continues to rubber-stamp the violation of Constitutional rights in the US. This ruling is especially troublesome when viewed in conjunction with the gutting of Habeas Corpus by the current administration.
Truly the United States has squandered it's place as the beacon of freedom for the world. Even disregarding the atrocities that she has committed around the globe in the name of American 'freedom', it is clear that the US has also, repeatedly, failed it's own citizens in every way that matters and continues to do so. Shame on them.
"I assumed blithely that there were no elves out there in the darkness"
But what if I can't remember my name?
Oh no, the US is becoming like the rest of the world. They start catching up, and the change frightens them. If only they caught up faster, then maybe we wouldn't have to put up with all the friggin idiotic posts about the world coming to an end.
I need a nap...
The phrase "reasonable suspicion exists that you might be arrested" is meaningless.
No, it isn't. It's synonymous with the notion of probable cause, which is fundamental to our system of criminal justice.
But you know this already, as you go on to admit that the police do not need any reason whatsoever to arrest you. And somehow you think the country is better for this.
Let's just say that there are times when it's good that police have discretion in arresting suspects or detaining material witnesses. It's also good that we have a time-honored, tried, and true system for balancing that discretion: it's called the doctrine of habeas corpus.
And since this balanced system of justice has been in place for more than two centuries now, I'd say arguments that we're on a slippery slope have revealed themselves to be specious.
I somehow doubt the five judges who ruled in favor of this police state quickening have the combined four centuries of federal bench experience you believe exonerates their ruling.
That's a good point; I spoke too quickly. Let's see... Kennedy, O'Connor, Scalia, Thomas, and Rehnquist... that comes to a mere 230 years. My bad.
I'm pretty sure 230 years of judicial experience outweighs one dumbass with an Internet account.
I write in my journal
that would sell their asses to any politician or cop - and not even on demand but voluntarily.
And this is not even for security from "terrorism" or anything else, but just because somebody in authority says they have to.
And also so they can claim to be "better citizens" than those who correctly suspect the government of
being a crooked extortion and protection racket.
Well, sorry, morons, but in fact you're all gutless punks - and I use the term in the prison sense.
I spit on you slaves.
Have a nice day, fuckwads.
Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!