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How I Ended Up In Solitary After Calling 911 For Help

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Re: How I Ended Up In Solitary After Calling 911 For Help

#661
post #521

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are many ways talking can help. It can help you avoid the police officer's discretionary punishments. It can help you avoid increased scrutiny that turns up something incriminating. It's less probable that it will help you avoid being punished due to a baldfaced lie on the part of the officer, since presumably the courts are good at filtering those out, but it's not impossible. Once you require the services of…

I can't recommend enough watching this video. The law professor explains why you should never speak to the police. It's 46 minutes long, but every minute is pure gold. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE

I find it ironic that when the cop starts talking he mentions that in the US people should be thankful because they are given a Miranda warning, because, according to him, in other parts of the world like in "Spain and Italy" cops beat up citizens. Last time I check such abuse can't be seen anywhere in Europe. More cop BS.

Re: How I Ended Up In Solitary After Calling 911 For Help

#662
I feel sick reading stories like this. Yesterday I read about the guy that made a stupid facebook comment and is now facing 10 years in prison. He will probably win and walk away a free man, but still he had to spend 2 months in prison. Reading these stories or stories about the TSA I really do not want to visit the USA in the near future.

Re: How I Ended Up In Solitary After Calling 911 For Help

#663

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is a perfect example of the disconnect between "hackers" and the real world. You're reading way too much into this. The OP's story is completely unrelated to "hacker" culture or the faux-libertarian belief system that is fashionable in SF/SV. The OP's story is a perfect example of what happens when people who believe they're smarter than everyone else play games with people who don't play games. Nothing more.…

I wouldn’t really say that the OP thought he was smarter than the police officers. He believed could clear up a misunderstanding just by talking – and that may be naive, but it’s not arrogant. Now, if he knew that he had done something wrong and thought he could argue his way out of trouble, that might be thinking he was smarter than those who would get him in trouble. But he was just trying to clear up a misundersta…

Keep in mind we only have his version of the story...

Re: How I Ended Up In Solitary After Calling 911 For Help

#664
post #244
post #240

Back in November, I was arrested in Brooklyn for running a red light on my bike while on my way to work in Manhattan. Normally you're given a ticket and let go, but in this instance, the officers took issue with the fact that I was not carrying ID. Both officers told me that I "could be arrested for not having ID." For clarification, I asked if it was a city, state, or national law, and the officers adamantly maintai…

Thanks for sharing! I believe in that situation, that you can defuse the dynamic of being accused of not having your ID, by sharing your social security number. So one response to the police in that situation is to acknowledge not having your ID, but offer to share your name and social security number so they can identify you in the database.

Um absolutely not. I am not giving my ssn to a random police officer.

Re: How I Ended Up In Solitary After Calling 911 For Help

#665
post #656

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who'll be able to tell how? Their word over yours? And if you're black and your "peers" are 80% middle class whites?

And that's the problem. The police officers know they'll probably get away with it. Until there is a fair process things like this will not change. The hard part is figuring out what's a fair process.

Have all policement wear google glasses and having them on during an arrest/interoggation/etc.

If there's no video, the arrest is invalid.

Also heavy personal fines and loss of pension for any misconduct.

Re: How I Ended Up In Solitary After Calling 911 For Help

#666
post #605

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my experience there aren't many cases against government entities that attorneys will take on contingency. A friend of mine was held for nearly 2 years without bail because he was deemed a flight risk (the white collar charges he faced were eventually dropped). He spent most of that time experiencing violent and painful vomiting attacks. He was told he had an ulcer and was given ulcer medication that had no effect…

That is horrible! It sounds like story from Kazachstan or Africa. I hope your friend is better now.

Unfortunately, it wasn't Kazachstan or Africa. It was in the much vaunted Silicon Valley. This occurred in the Santa Clara County jail just across from the San Jose airport.

Re: How I Ended Up In Solitary After Calling 911 For Help

#668
I make it a point to avoid all interactions with LEOs. They are new militarized, angry and highly uneducated underclass and they want to take it out on you. I don't even drive any more just to avoid interactions. It's much harder to be arrested in a Lyft/Uber than in your own vehicle and you don't risk them 'finding' anything in your vehicle. Never call the police, never help the police, never talk to the police.

Re: How I Ended Up In Solitary After Calling 911 For Help

#669

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn’t really say that the OP thought he was smarter than the police officers. He believed could clear up a misunderstanding just by talking – and that may be naive, but it’s not arrogant. Now, if he knew that he had done something wrong and thought he could argue his way out of trouble, that might be thinking he was smarter than those who would get him in trouble. But he was just trying to clear up a misundersta…

Keep in mind we only have his version of the story...

Well, he called 911 himself. I think this part won't change from version to version. Now how many people who call 911 when they witness an accident actually are a "problem" enough to warrant an arrest?

Re: How I Ended Up In Solitary After Calling 911 For Help

#670
post #661
post #521

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't recommend enough watching this video. The law professor explains why you should never speak to the police. It's 46 minutes long, but every minute is pure gold. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE

I find it ironic that when the cop starts talking he mentions that in the US people should be thankful because they are given a Miranda warning, because, according to him, in other parts of the world like in "Spain and Italy" cops beat up citizens. Last time I check such abuse can't be seen anywhere in Europe. More cop BS.

To be fair, as an Italian living in Spain, there have been cases in recent years where "cops beat up citizens" in both countries, mostly occurring during large rallies.

Still, these occurrences are isolated cases, receive large media attention and are definitely not considered "the norm".

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