What can I say to an officer if he/she asks to search me?

Warped Reality

Bluelighter
Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Messages
570
I've been in situations where I've had drugs on me and I've allowed officers to search me because I thought it was their right. Now I realize that without probable cause or something along those lines, they're not allowed to if they don't have a evidence that I have something on me. If I say "I don't give you consent to search me" can they still search me? Or is there anything I can do to make sure they don't search me?

I'm in Canada btw.
 
I'm pretty sure you can just say you don't give your permision - but why don't you do the reading on the internet? I'm sure a good search engine can show you what you want/ nah?
 
In the USA the way it works (or is SUPPOSED to work) is, basically there are 3 types of encounters with the police:

A. Voluntary (not sure of the specific legal term, if there is one): This is when a police officer, with no probable cause, and really no reasonable articulable suspicion approaches you on foot (rather than pulling your car over) and starts talking to you. He may ask a question, he may make a statement, he may say anything. On these occasions you are not obligated to answer the police officer and you are not obligated to stay there while the police officer questions you. This is just like if any other citizen walks up to you and asks you a question, or makes a statement, or whatever.

On these occasions people often ASSUME that they must stay there while the police ask them questions, or they assume they must answer the police's questions..... but this is NOT the case. It is not the case any more than it is the case that you would HAVE TO stay there when some random individual approaches you and asks you a question, makes a statement, whatever. People assume they must stay when a police officer does this because they are wearing a uniform, with a badge, have weapons, are seen as an authority figure (I see them as my servants btw), and are trained to get compliance out of individuals when they want compliance even if they have no legal right to make the person comply (like staying there or answering them).

When a police officer approaches you on the street in the USA (u gotta look up the way the laws work in Canada, I have no idea), what you want to do (what I feel free to do, in particular if they are approaching me in a way like sizing me up as a potential suspect in a crime) is to ask the officer something like this: "What is my legal status at the moment officer?" or/and "Officer am I being detained or am I free to leave/go?" or/and "Officer, I wish to leave as soon as I am legally allowed to do so, am I free to leave now?"

Now I will not always do this when an officer approaches me, for instance if they are looking for information on a crime I may have witnessed, etc. If they ask me "Did you see which way the guy with a gun, dragging a little girl while she was crying for her mommy went?" I will likely stay there and be happy to give the officer any relevant info I can provide.

But if I am unclear as to whether I am being approached as a potential suspect, a suspect, a potential witness or witness, or because the officer THINKS I'm up no good, if I am unclear at all as to whether I am free to go or am being detained (the ambiguity here is why I ask). When the officer asks me "Are you waiting for the train?" and I'm suspicious of his intentions in any way (the officers in my area do NOT come up to citizens to socialize, although I'm sure there are rare exceptions) I ASK. I DO NOT answer his question and I am NEVER under any legal obligation to answer his question. I TAKE CONTROL of the situation (hard to do without practice). I assert what I WANT. I ASK... "Officer, what is my legal status at the moment? Am I free to leave?" If the officer says anything else to me besides something like "Yes, your free to go" I assume I am under arrest. As such, I do not have to answer any questions, although I believe the laws differ from state to state, city to city, some require you to carry ID or identify yourself or similar. As long as I'm not wanted for some serious crime I feel comfortable telling an officer my name, residential address and SSN and providing ID to the officer if they tell me I am not free to leave and they ask for one or all of those things. Aside from that, my response is something like "Officer, I do not wish to answer any questions or make any statements, I would like to leave as soon as I am legally allowed to do so."

If I AM up to no good (in the eyes of a cop) I DO NOT start taking out of my ass, making up random lies to his questions trying to keep him from knowing what I am actually up to (and if I am being detained- if I am not free to leave, there is every reason to believe that the cop thinks I am up to no good). Unless I have an air tight excuse/story that can not be fouled at all by the cop in any way (by making a call, talking to someone else there who knows me, knocking on doors to check my story, etc, etc) I KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT!

Lesson number one: Keep your mouth SHUT!

If your there voluntarilly you are free to leave and are under no obligation to consent to search or to answer any questions. Countless idiots dig their own grave by opening their friggin mouths to cops. Keep your mouth SHUT!

B: Your Being Detained (as in your not free to leave and you are not under arrest). Let's keep this one short and sweet. If your being detained pretend you are under arrest. Do not physically resist the officer in any way * This goes for when your free to leave as well*- It's not when YOU think your free to leave, it's when the officer SAYS your free to go, even if you KNOW your in the right and they have no lawful reason to detain you, you must not physically resist the police. They will use pain compliance on you and they will stack charges on you like A&B on a police officer, etc, etc.

So in these situations I will consent to a Terry Pat (allows cops to search you by patting down the outside of your clothes for weapons, so that if you happen to have a weapon on you they can take it away safely- for your safety and theirs. They don't have the lawful right to have you dump out your pockets- they may tell you to or ask you to in a forceful way- what you say is "Is that an order officer or is that a request officer?" If they say it's an order you go along with it and let your lawyer sort things out later.

I will give my name, address, ssn, show ID. That's it. Other than that it's basically "I have nothing to say officer, I would simply like to leave as soon as I am legally allowed to do so."

C. Your under arrest. They can search your ass good, put you in cuffs, take you to jail. I give the same info as when I am detained and "I have nothing to say officer, I would like to leave as soon as I am legally allowed to do so. I do not wish to answer any questions, I would like to speak with a lawyer." Repeat if necessary, regardless of if they ask you again "where is your friend, bla, bla".

Practice away from cops so you will not feel intimidated asserting your rights when you encounter police.

Thank me later.

Titus
 
in the usa the way it works (or is supposed to work) is, basically there are 3 types of encounters with the police:

A. Voluntary (not sure of the specific legal term, if there is one): This is when a police officer, with no probable cause, and really no reasonable articulable suspicion approaches you on foot (rather than pulling your car over) and starts talking to you. He may ask a question, he may make a statement, he may say anything. On these occasions you are not obligated to answer the police officer and you are not obligated to stay there while the police officer questions you. This is just like if any other citizen walks up to you and asks you a question, or makes a statement, or whatever.

On these occasions people often assume that they must stay there while the police ask them questions, or they assume they must answer the police's questions..... But this is not the case. It is not the case any more than it is the case that you would have to stay there when some random individual approaches you and asks you a question, makes a statement, whatever. People assume they must stay when a police officer does this because they are wearing a uniform, with a badge, have weapons, are seen as an authority figure (i see them as my servants btw), and are trained to get compliance out of individuals when they want compliance even if they have no legal right to make the person comply (like staying there or answering them).

When a police officer approaches you on the street in the usa (u gotta look up the way the laws work in canada, i have no idea), what you want to do (what i feel free to do, in particular if they are approaching me in a way like sizing me up as a potential suspect in a crime) is to ask the officer something like this: "what is my legal status at the moment officer?" or/and "officer am i being detained or am i free to leave/go?" or/and "officer, i wish to leave as soon as i am legally allowed to do so, am i free to leave now?"

now i will not always do this when an officer approaches me, for instance if they are looking for information on a crime i may have witnessed, etc. If they ask me "did you see which way the guy with a gun, dragging a little girl while she was crying for her mommy went?" i will likely stay there and be happy to give the officer any relevant info i can provide.

But if i am unclear as to whether i am being approached as a potential suspect, a suspect, a potential witness or witness, or because the officer thinks i'm up no good, if i am unclear at all as to whether i am free to go or am being detained (the ambiguity here is why i ask). When the officer asks me "are you waiting for the train?" and i'm suspicious of his intentions in any way (the officers in my area do not come up to citizens to socialize, although i'm sure there are rare exceptions) i ask. I do not answer his question and i am never under any legal obligation to answer his question. I take control of the situation (hard to do without practice). I assert what i want. I ask... "officer, what is my legal status at the moment? Am i free to leave?" if the officer says anything else to me besides something like "yes, your free to go" i assume i am under arrest. As such, i do not have to answer any questions, although i believe the laws differ from state to state, city to city, some require you to carry id or identify yourself or similar. As long as i'm not wanted for some serious crime i feel comfortable telling an officer my name, residential address and ssn and providing id to the officer if they tell me i am not free to leave and they ask for one or all of those things. Aside from that, my response is something like "officer, i do not wish to answer any questions or make any statements, i would like to leave as soon as i am legally allowed to do so."

if i am up to no good (in the eyes of a cop) i do not start taking out of my ass, making up random lies to his questions trying to keep him from knowing what i am actually up to (and if i am being detained- if i am not free to leave, there is every reason to believe that the cop thinks i am up to no good). Unless i have an air tight excuse/story that can not be fouled at all by the cop in any way (by making a call, talking to someone else there who knows me, knocking on doors to check my story, etc, etc) i keep my mouth shut!

Lesson number one: Keep your mouth shut!

If your there voluntarilly you are free to leave and are under no obligation to consent to search or to answer any questions. Countless idiots dig their own grave by opening their friggin mouths to cops. Keep your mouth shut!

B: Your being detained (as in your not free to leave and you are not under arrest). Let's keep this one short and sweet. If your being detained pretend you are under arrest. Do not physically resist the officer in any way * this goes for when your free to leave as well*- it's not when you think your free to leave, it's when the officer says your free to go, even if you know your in the right and they have no lawful reason to detain you, you must not physically resist the police. They will use pain compliance on you and they will stack charges on you like a&b on a police officer, etc, etc.

So in these situations i will consent to a terry pat (allows cops to search you by patting down the outside of your clothes for weapons, so that if you happen to have a weapon on you they can take it away safely- for your safety and theirs. They don't have the lawful right to have you dump out your pockets- they may tell you to or ask you to in a forceful way- what you say is "is that an order officer or is that a request officer?" if they say it's an order you go along with it and let your lawyer sort things out later.

I will give my name, address, ssn, show id. That's it. Other than that it's basically "i have nothing to say officer, i would simply like to leave as soon as i am legally allowed to do so."

c. Your under arrest. They can search your ass good, put you in cuffs, take you to jail. I give the same info as when i am detained and "i have nothing to say officer, i would like to leave as soon as i am legally allowed to do so. I do not wish to answer any questions, i would like to speak with a lawyer." repeat if necessary, regardless of if they ask you again "where is your friend, bla, bla".

Practice away from cops so you will not feel intimidated asserting your rights when you encounter police.

Thank me later.

Titus

thank you titus!!!
 
These are all about American cops, I'm not sure how similar Canadian law is. Anyway, I think they're helpful. If a police officer asks to search you, you should be polite and friendly but tell them very clearly that you do not consent to a search. If they try to search you, repeat yourself and say that you want to call your lawyer, but do not resist the search in any way. If the search turns out to be illegal you can contest it in court.

Guidelines to saying no to a police officer: http://www.erowid.org/freedom/police/police_consent1.shtml

Erowid police interactions vault: http://www.erowid.org/freedom/police/police.shtml

I do not consent to a search (this one's not quite as good): http://www.erowid.org/freedom/police/police_info4.shtml
 
I think also its fairly prudent not to place yourself in those kinds of positions where you may have narcotics on your person and may be subject to search. Ie walking about in public, in Ontario my bag was searched due to a robbery being committed at gas station nearby. I was asked for my bag and gave it to the officer. I may have been intoxicated and reeked of a certain substance, but nothing came of it. Compliance is key, be compliant and things will go a lot smoother. Its kinda captain obvious but still good advice.
 
where am from (uk) if you have a crimanal recored,and they no your face your fkd the police would just say you where acting out of sorts and they stop to ask you what you where up to.
or if they have done stop n searshed you afore and they caught you with stuff,thats enough for them to keep doing it to u.
our police are dogs tthey can even say that they where walking by you and they smelled dope thats all they need to hall your aarse in for a strip search,and its getting worse
 
where am from (uk) if you have a crimanal recored,and they no your face your fkd the police would just say you where acting out of sorts and they stop to ask you what you where up to.
or if they have done stop n searshed you afore and they caught you with stuff,thats enough for them to keep doing it to u.
our police are dogs tthey can even say that they where walking by you and they smelled dope thats all they need to hall your aarse in for a strip search,and its getting worse


Police here do that at well (not to me, because I smartened my ass up a long time ago and do not act a fool in public, do not thwart authority and give cops shit, etc. So my record is almost 20 years old and basically alcohol related charges. So if a cop runs my record it will appear to them as if I definitely HAD an alcohol problem (a charge every year or 2 for like 4-5 years) but then no charges at all in 20 years. So it is pretty hard for police to assume they can lie about the situation because I'm a known drug dealer or known drug user. I have NO drug charges at all on my record. BTW police have planted drugs on me TWICE. I did not talk, did not rat anyone out, and I was not charged. One time the cop was trying to fvck me over because I gave him a lot of verbal taunting, the other time the cops were dicks as well and trying to get me to run because i was drunk and giving them shit and they were pissed. I sat tight and they didn't charge me with that crap.

So my 'alibi' if I'm in a known drug area, or with a known drug user, or known dealer.... is that i know them from AA/NA and am there to help them out. I make sure that anyone I"m doing anything with rehearses this story with me and agrees to use it. This is because I'd actually rather 'explain' (briefly) to the cop that I'm with so and so because he's struggling and I use to be a boozer and fixed my life up and now help others that have alcohol and drug problems. And I KNOW that if they run my record, my record will basically support this story. So if cops try and go over their legal bounds with me their lying about the circumstances are going to be a lot harder to pull off. I'm not some guy with a possession charge or 3 in the past 5 years where they can make up the lie that I looked high or whatever.

But I still will not sit there and be the cops stooge, answering all their questions, etc. I will at the beginning of the encounter, basically, let the cops know that I KNOW my rights and feel comfortable asserting them. So I might say "I'm not interested in answering any questions" but then selectively answer a few questions to manipulate the cops view of me from potential suspect to citizen good Samaritan. Last time cops question me I was with my muscle. By the time I was "free to go" they were warning me to be careful and not be around him because he might try to rob me" lol But I knew I could pull this off. I have read up on all this shit for years and have had years and years to practice.

When all is said and done it's really better to keep it short and sweet and to keep your mouth shut. If you give them no story they can't trip you up in a lie or catch you in a lie because they happen to know for a fact that something you say isn't true. If you say nothing you can't hurt yourself.

And I agree that it is very important and very useful to be polite and respectful. Even if they act like dicks. And call them "officer" not 'sir'. They like that better, they are supposed to call you sir. Call them officer.
 
yeah...
interesting, i mean - our rights.
they ask questions they want to hear the answers to, you have the ability to respond with, or ask questions you know the answers to.
so so important, with many situations.


" And I agree that it is very important and very useful to be polite and respectful. Even if they act like dicks. And call them "officer" not 'sir'. They like that better, they are supposed to call you sir. Call them officer. "

^this, is indeed the sum of it.

____________________________________
a small but helpful note of my own:
its smart and safe to understand that speeding or doing stupid shit in the public, is stupid, and something to feel wrong doing around other civilians in the first place. now, apologizing to LEO's, is near an insult to some, the good-ones usually, and may lead one into tongue-falls from there; this detail can have the 'bad' cop turn-face going on enough
 
where am from (uk) if you have a crimanal recored,and they no your face your fkd the police would just say you where acting out of sorts and they stop to ask you what you where up to.
or if they have done stop n searshed you afore and they caught you with stuff,thats enough for them to keep doing it to u.
our police are dogs tthey can even say that they where walking by you and they smelled dope thats all they need to hall your aarse in for a strip search,and its getting worse

Me and my friends have been sitting in the same area (back of library.. got benches and a little pond) for years.. We have been searched SOOO many times for all sorts of bullshit excuses from drugs to weapons to car theft (because we're next to a carpark we must be car thieves)..

They don't need to know you or have a valid excuse.. they'll just make one up on the spot..

Me and a couple of friends have also miraculously perfectly matched the description of randoms such as "people climbing into peoples gardens" or "car thieves"..
 
Me and my friends have been sitting in the same area (back of library.. got benches and a little pond) for years.. We have been searched SOOO many times for all sorts of bullshit excuses from drugs to weapons to car theft (because we're next to a carpark we must be car thieves)..

They don't need to know you or have a valid excuse.. they'll just make one up on the spot..

Me and a couple of friends have also miraculously perfectly matched the description of randoms such as "people climbing into peoples gardens" or "car thieves"..

Cops spend their whole working career talking to people who constantly are lying to them. Speeders lie, drunk drivers lie, people high on pot or other drugs lie, people who commit crimes of violence or theft lie, people who sell and use drugs lie, etc, etc.

So this skews their world view and they basically assume that you are lying to them because everyone lies to them, all the time.

They also assume you are up to no good if you fit the profile or behavior of teens who party. If your sitting on the grass in front of the library at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon reading your school books cops will most likely profile you as a good citizen, good student, etc. If you are wearing a leather jacket or a concert tee shirt and have long hair cops will assume your a pot smoking party dude.

So it's important to know how cops think so you can position yourself as much as possible to be profiled as an innocent citizen nerd or whatever rather than someone who likely parties in any way.

That's a lot of the battle right there.

You also want to be aware that if you fit any kind of profile that the cops would be interested in, you do not want to ever be in possession of any weapons or any drugs or alcohol while out in public. If you happen to be in possession of drugs you want to have them on your body (or IN your body) to minimize chances they will be found if searched. So when you go out and your into pot, you do NOT want to carry a bong or a pipe. You do NOT want to carry a baggie of weed. You only want to have the ammt your going to smoke that day on you, no more. And you want it hidden in a good place. It's unlikely that cops will find 2-3 joints on you if your smart about where you are carrying them. If you carry a 1/4 oz of weed it makes it easier for them to find the drugs.

Your better off carrying a book of matches than a lighter. This is particularly true if you smoke pot but do not smoke cigarettes. Cops spend their entire lives talking to people who constantly lie to them, they become pretty good at figuring out whether or not a person is lying to them. In fact they can be a royal pain in the ass because even if you are telling the complete truth (when your innocent) they are going to friggin assume your lying to them and they will keep asking you in annoying ways over and over when you tell them the truth because they assume your lying to them because that's all that anyone does, lie to them.

So be smart. Do not fit the profile of a person of interest. If your up to no good (anything a cop would think is no good) then you want to make sure that everyone involved has their stories straight. Don't be a schmuck who is doing some bullshit with their friend and then when cops split you up and ask you questions about what your up to you give one story and your friend gives a different story lol. This is so basic to me but yet tons of people get screwed up here because they didn't put in the necessary planning ahead of time.

If your ever in a situation where your up to no good and cops are asking you and your friends (separately) about what your doing, where your coming from, where your going, how you know each other, etc, etc. If you are not SURE that your friend is going to say the same things you are going to say you don't want to give the cops ANY STORY. This is because your story will obviously not match the story your friend gives. You must rehearse your stories ahead of time and go over it again and again AND also be sure that your friend will remember and use the story rehearsed. And be sure that your friend will stick to it regardless of what the cops say (for instance they play your friend saying that you said something other than the story you agreed upon) then you DO NOT tell the cops answers to their questions.

If your buying drugs off of someone who you do not know, or someone whose street name you know but not their real name, not their last name, etc then you don't want to tell them "It's my cousin" or "We go to school together" or ANYTHING like that. This is because the cops are going to quiz you more and more... like 'what school you go to' and 'how long have you known each other' and 'where he lives' and 'what grade are you both in' or A MILLION other questions they can quiz you on. And your lying so obviously your stories are not going to match. This gives the cops reasonable suspicion that your up to no good. Basically they know your up to no good, because they know your lying to them and if you were not up to no good you would not lie to them.

So what you do is NOT tell them any fucking stories!

Where do you know him from? "Officer, with all due respect, I do not want to answer any questions from any government employees or government officials"

The reason I suggest you say that type of thing rather than "Officer I do not wish to answer any questions" is because I feel that by *misdirecting* the cops, leading them to believe that you have some issues or contempt for government, rather than merely 'protecting and asserting your rights' will put you in a better position. This way the cops will not be thinking "this little punk is hiding something, or this little punk is being a smart-ass" or something like that.

What they will be thinking, most likely, is "this kid has some issues with government, this kid is a political nutcase, or this kid probably has a father than is a certified constitutional nutcase" or something like that.

I strongly prefer cops to think that kind of thing about me. This way they will not profile me as someone who has studied the law, studied their civil rights, been advised by a lawyer, etc.... Even though knowing and asserting your rights is perfectly legal, and SHOULD NOT make the cops suspicious of you, it will make them think that your doing something illegal as the reason your asserting your rights. I want them to think I'm basically a political extremest who is anti-government, and it just so happens that because I am anti-government I do not want to dialogue with the police because they represent or are employees of the government. If possible and it seems like a reasonable thing to do without making the cops think that I am intentionally kissing their asses because I'm hiding something I will also try to get in some comment like "Officer, it's nothing personal at all, I have the utmost respect for police officers for their bravery they show in the line of duty rushing to the scenes of violent crimes and risking their lives to protect citizens... I simply do not believe in government, I am an anarchist (make sure you know what an anarchist is and that your able to dialogue about why you don't believe in government if you take this approach) and it just so happens that your employed by the government. I respect you, your badge, and the selfless actions you display to protect the public, but I do not want to answer any questions by anyone representing the government" And you stick to that, keeping it short and sweet, re-asserting "I do not wish to answer questions from anyone employed by government officer".

Another benefit of taking this approach is that the police may believe that you and/or your parents, as political extremists, are much more likely than the average citizen to go to extensive lengths filing complaints with the police dept, etc because your extremists and won't let minor mis-steps made by police because of your political views. As such, the cop may be thinking "OMG, this guy is a whacko, I don't want him marching out in front of the police station holding a sign that says "Officer so and so stomped on my constitutional rights" (I'm exaggerating to make my point).

Cops also don't want to listen to some political extremist ramble about political beliefs that they do not hold (just like you and I don't wish to hear people go on and on with political views that are opposite from ours).

Another potential side benefit is that the cops are going to remember you as the political guy who respects cops heroic actions keeping the public safe but is a major political nut. This is much better than be remembered as "One of the kids who hangs out behind the library and likely smokes pot." (or whatever).

I did this kind of thing the last time I was questioned by cops and initially the cop was defensive (which is GREAT for me). When I rambled about 'not answering questions from government people, bla, bla... the cop was all like "I totally respect your views" or something like that in a defensive way, like he was nervous to be around me the way we are often nervous being interrogated by cops!!!!

And later I really won them over by talking about how i think cops are hero's for rushing to the scene's of violent crimes to protect people when everyone else is running away from the situation.... and I think that politicians are responsible for creating unnecessary tension between police and citizens by having police officers involved in routine traffic stops rather than leaving them alone to focus on being ready to respond to calls when a wife is being beaten... that stuff is hard enough and stressful enough.... police officers shouldn't be hassled with the duties of pulling over cars for minor traffic violations and stuff like that..... (feel free to use your own variation of this kind of stuff... practice saying it alone, out loud, or with friends so that when the time comes you can say it to cops and get them off your jock about maybe having a beer behind the library).

Sun Tzu, The Art of War. Every battle is won before it is ever fought."

Be prepared for encounters with the police so that you are confident you will win the battle with the police when questioned before it even starts.
 
^ Yeah i'm pretty confident around police.. i've had SO many encounters it's unreal.. only 1 time did it lead to an arrest and that was for some bullshit charge 8 years ago..

When the police approach us i've found the best thing to do is just say hello, etc before they've even said anything. This gives off the impression you have nothing to hide. Don't be nervous.. they can smell it. Joke around with them (or your mates) just so the atmosphere isn't all tense.

There's been a few times i've pretended to be rushing on MDMA to police.. pulling my best gurn face and saying things like: "i know we've only just met but i fuckin love you".. I've also legged it off over a wall half way through conversations with em.. IME when you do things like this in a confident / jokey manner they rarely progress past a few questions ;)
 
One time (in florida) I was pulled over on my way to a 4th of july party....Cop ran my plates and lisense and it all came back good...They wrote me a warning for having my tailite out...Then thee inevidable question.."Do you mind if I search your vehicle"?Now I had a little bit of meth on me but I played it cool (knowing the law)I stated to the officer "Do I really have a choice?" and the officer said yes you do and I said well no I'm really in a hurry..Cop said ok have a nice day...

The key here was playing stupid and not acting suspicious..If the cop suspected I had something to hide they would of called for a k-9...
 
In short - if a cop asks if he can search you, you say "no". You don't have to give him a reason. If he says that he has the right, say "I am not giving you permission to search me." Never EVER give a cop permission to search you (even if you don't have anything on you). Just say that no, you do not want him to search you. Always be polite and don't get in a fight or argument with the cop. Don't give him a reason to want to search you. The more cooperative you are, the easier it will be. Just say that you do not give him permission to search you.

IF he searches you (without your permisson), don't fight or anything. BUT since you did not give him permission, if he finds anything, the evidence has to be thrown out.

(If he has a reason to search you or whatever then you're out of luck. But if he does not have a good reason to search you then you should be fine.)
 
I think also its fairly prudent not to place yourself in those kinds of positions where you may have narcotics on your person and may be subject to search. Ie walking about in public, in Ontario my bag was searched due to a robbery being committed at gas station nearby. I was asked for my bag and gave it to the officer. I may have been intoxicated and reeked of a certain substance, but nothing came of it. Compliance is key, be compliant and things will go a lot smoother. Its kinda captain obvious but still good advice.

Yup, I can remember when I was 18, I had two girls in my card, 22 and 23.
One was my girlfriend, the other was her best friend at the time
We had a bottle of Hypnotiq and Jager, and a half OZ of weed in two plastic red cups in the card cup holders(Uncovered)

The cop asked if I knew why I was pulled over, I replied no, and he told me my tail lights were out, and asked me where I was staying for the night( I was literally less than 100 yards from where I was going to be staying) I told him I was staying at the hotel (and pointed at it, as it was easily visible, and Very, VERY close)

He asked for my liscence and registration, I gave him my liscence, started freaking out and getting nervous because I couldn't find my registration.
He said it's alright, he believes my story, and to be safe for the night, and that he didnt want to see me driving again that night without tail lights. handed me my liscence , escorted me to the hotel, and I had a good night smoking weed and drinking.

(really suprised I didn't get fucked for that one , I mean, the weed was obvious, its in front, in the red plastic cups uncovered and it smelled strong. And stupid girl in the back seat had opened the bottle of Jager, hah, it was all very strange and scary, but worked out for the best because I was compliant I believe)

There was also another time when I had 600mg of Oxy in my car, and a gun, with a loaded clip, just played it cool, the officer had pulled me over for my windsheild, and started being a dick and telling me my windows were illegally tinted (when the front windows weren't even tinted, cop was a real dumbass)
He called for back up, had 4 cop cars in a tiny parking lot, all lit up blue and red, but they never asked me to get out of my car, they never asked to search, just gave me a fix it ticket. and warned me about the windows, lol....


But, at that time, I also found out about 6 months later I was under a pending investigation, so I don't know if thats why they didn't take me in, or even ask to search my car, but who will ever know, I ended up going into rehab and cleaned up, haven't been pulled over since oddly enough
 
you have the right to refuse a search; you MUST however present valid ID. Generally, the officer, if intent on searching you, will make up resonable and probable cause and preform a "subject stop"

in theory, yes, you can refuse a search if you are not in custody. In reality, they'll just place you in custody for 15 minutes and search you anyways.

coming from a canadian who's been on both sides.
 
[Serious posts only in Legal Discussion - thanks.]
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Top