The Supreme Court is out of control
From the AP:
The Supreme Court issued a traffic warning Monday: Beware of whom you ride with. If drugs are found in a vehicle, all occupants can be arrested, the justices said in a unanimous decision.
It was a victory for Maryland and 20 other states that argued police frequently find drugs in traffic stops but no one in the vehicle claims them. The court gave officers the go-ahead to arrest everyone.
In a small space like a car, an officer could reasonably infer “a common enterprise” among a driver and passengers, the justices ruled.
The case stemmed from an incident in 1999, when police in the Baltimore suburbs pulled over a speeding car. A search revealed a roll of cash in the glove compartment and cocaine in an armrest in the back seat.
The driver and the two passengers denied having anything to do with the contraband, so all three men were arrested.
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, writing for the court, said police had probable cause to suspect that the drugs belonged to any of the three, or all of them.
December 16th, 2003 at 1:37 pm
tiz purty clear how the drugs is winnin the war. not only are they jes as easy to git as ever, but now thar takin out sum of our civil liberties.
December 16th, 2003 at 2:12 pm
There was a case in the Chicago area many years ago where a hitchhiker was jailed for having been given a lift in a stolen car. I knew a marijuana dealer who was a cabdriver; would you dare get in a cab after his passengers were convicted on this basis?
December 16th, 2003 at 7:36 pm
Worst of all, it was a unanimous court.
Keep in mind though, this case was about having probably cause to arrest, not about having enough evidence to convict. The actual person in this case eventually confessed, and was convicted on the basis of that confession, not on the basis of his having been in the car.
December 16th, 2003 at 7:47 pm
Thanks for the clarification hugger. It does make a difference but still i’d be happier if people had to prove stuff before arresting you.