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'You Have the Right to Remain Silent.' or Do You?

npr.org

71–80 of 101 posts

Re: 'You Have the Right to Remain Silent.' or Do You?

#71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let's be clear here - what you're referring to is some states will suspend your DL for a year if you refuse all types testing. This includes the array of FST's (field sobriety tests), blood, urine, chemical or breathe. This is not an admission of guilt, but in most states, a violation of your driving contract you signed when you were given your license. Also, you can refuse an FST, then tell the police you refuse the…

Another good strategy is DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE.

You assuming people are guilty with your statement.

Re: 'You Have the Right to Remain Silent.' or Do You?

#72
post #58

There's a lecture by a law school professor called "Don't Talk to Police" that I've seen on HN before and is definitely worth watching. The case in the article is unfortunate, although I'm curious what might have happened if Tom had asked "am I under arrest?" after not being allowed to go home. In the second example the article gives, I wonder what would've happened if the defendant had not answered any questions vol…

I will politely and respectfully disagree with everything stated in this video, but I will not stand in this fine gentleman's way of making more money for criminal lawyers. I hope many people listen to the advice in the link, and then call him to get out of the jam these lessons will put them in.

Re: 'You Have the Right to Remain Silent.' or Do You?

#73
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps another question: "How fast was I going, officer?"

My friend recently tried "do you know how fast I was going" with his best smile of course. The officer responded something like "yes, but I want to see how honest you're going to be with me" with his best smile of course. This was probably a slam dunk for the officer, but my friend got off with 5-over, a hundred dollars, and no points. They were just out to generate revenue on a holiday weekend - and maybe get people…

They weren't using radar guns and they didn't tell him their readings?

Re: 'You Have the Right to Remain Silent.' or Do You?

#74
post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting quote you put there. Did I say that? But sure, i'll be happy to do your homework for you. Grab your book, an look up the following words: "You" "Right" "Remain" "Silent" "Attorney" "Afford" "Understand" Those would probably be a good start for you. You'll learn they don't mean what you think they mean. Afterwards, might I suggest a book on offer and acceptance? The "Examples and Explanations" series has a…

> Interesting quote you put there. Did I say that? No. I used the quotation marks to indicate my paraphrasing of what I believed you were implying, not your actual words.

We'll consider your silence to the rest of my post as agreement to its contents.

Re: 'You Have the Right to Remain Silent.' or Do You?

#75
post #37
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having a cell phone is a privilege? In what state, owing to what statute?

It's certainly regulatable, though it isn't now. Since cell carriers lease public airwaves, it'd be possible to mandate that they block some people from using their service, only sell phones if the person's ID is checked, etc.. This is drastic and would disrupt (in the traditional sense of the word) pay as you go phones that are popular for various demographics, but it seems possible, and there certainly isn't a reas…

NY's Senator Schumer tried to pass a law that made anonymous prepaid cellphones illegal in 2010 (http://www.schumer.senate.gov/new_website/record.cfm?id=3252...).

While this bill seems to have quietly died, it shows that it is certainly possible.

Re: 'You Have the Right to Remain Silent.' or Do You?

#76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Having a cell phone is a privilege? The ownership of a physical phone is not; having service for that phone involves a voluntary transaction that may be denied, and is therefore a privilege.

It is a voluntary transaction between 2 private parties. Either party can deny that transaction, but the government stepping in and preventing the transaction seems like a very different thing. I suppose some would say it's part of thew government's right to regulate interstate commerce.

Well, the government owns the radio spectrum that the communication goes over, so it's more direct than that.

Re: 'You Have the Right to Remain Silent.' or Do You?

#78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course, the Constitution doesn't grant rights. Do you have a natural right to be left alone if you so choose? Do you have a natural right to not be a witness against yourself? It seems a society based on popular sovereignty should define these rights as inherent and innate to being a person. And if you do assert your Constitutional rights, it's an easy way to escalate a situation where you soon learn the meaning t…

Asserting your rights is a fantastic ride, if you know how to do it. Everyone should Google how Geithner beat both rap and ride from the NYPD in four hours.that guy's a pro. If you don't know how to properly assert your rights, then you have none; expect to have your window smashed in, and be pulled out of your car. Or have cops and social workers come to remove your kids from an "unsafe" house 30 minutes after the p…

Lacking actionable specifics that can survive independent testing, it seems like the straightforward explanation of "how" is simply being well-connected. This does not scale.

Re: 'You Have the Right to Remain Silent.' or Do You?

#79
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm referring to the right to not self-incriminate. That is the issue at hand. What you said is untrue twice over. It's central to this issue and it does "need" to be invoked. The SCOTUS made some fateful rulings in 2013 and the gist ever since is that one must invoke the Fifth in order to be perceived as protected by the Fifth at that time. That's what the article is about.

"I'm referring to the right to not self-incriminate." Also not in the constitution. Cite otherwise. The right the article is talking about is the fifth amendment, which only says "nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself". Not the same as a general right against self-incrimination (and no court case has ever held otherwise ...) "What you said is untrue twice over. " Again, in what w…

You're confusing explicit rights with implicit rights built on precedence. Much of what's considered Constitutional rights is not definite and explicit. Likewise, the Constitution doesn't explicitly state that you have a right to your physical senses as a sentient being beyond ambiguous terms pertaining to welfare. This reminds me of a leading worry during the writing of the Bill of Rights: a worry that the affirmation of some specific humanitarian rights might regrettably lead society into believing that mere omission becomes the grounds for abusing freedoms unstated.

> It is only in the past 50 years that any court has ever held the fifth amendment gave you the right to remain silent, and in fact, precedent was the exact opposite for centuries.

Yes. It became a right. Go ahead and argue all day about what you perceive as fulfilling the qualification of a "right." I'll argue in direct contrast if your interpretation of rights remains narrow and dictated by the past. It won't help the situation at hand. Miranda warnings wouldn't have resulted if it weren't for precedence and perceived rights upholding it. Now the tides shift again. You're free to call this a "return to the past" or a "return to previous rights I think you never had" or whatever you wish. I call it the erosion of rights.

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Edit:

> But the solution to that is not to pretend they are written into the constitution and then lament a changing ideology of the supreme court, but instead actually put them there.

That would be ideal. That would be a colossal task, indeed, in lieu of a great number of other rights continuing to erode through an oligarchy's surveillance institutions and corporate decree.

Re: 'You Have the Right to Remain Silent.' or Do You?

#80
post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"I'm referring to the right to not self-incriminate." Also not in the constitution. Cite otherwise. The right the article is talking about is the fifth amendment, which only says "nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself". Not the same as a general right against self-incrimination (and no court case has ever held otherwise ...) "What you said is untrue twice over. " Again, in what w…

You're confusing explicit rights with implicit rights built on precedence. Much of what's considered Constitutional rights is not definite and explicit. Likewise, the Constitution doesn't explicitly state that you have a right to your physical senses as a sentient being beyond ambiguous terms pertaining to welfare. This reminds me of a leading worry during the writing of the Bill of Rights: a worry that the affirmati…

You're caught in a semantic rut. Your peer in this conversation isn't suggesting that there is no "right to silence". Re-read his comment. He's acknowledging that there is an implied right, but pointing out that it is not in the Constitution. He agrees with you that the right is eroding.

His disagreement regards the solution that erosion. Your solution seems to be to shore up the implied right to silence that comes from Miranda. His is to add an amendment to the Constitution to formalize a right to silence.

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