Dec 5

Written by:
12/5/2011 3:53 PM 

I ran into this story about a warrant issues a few weeks ago in DC. Reading the text made my blood run cold. I could not believe this was in a US court no less the District of Columbia, the home of US Law.

The basis of the affidavit was that after repeated attempts by undercover officers to get the store personnel to incriminate them selves (which they never did) the officers used their unwillingness as 'unnatural and deceptive' So now if you don't implicate yourself, that becomes probable cause. Yossarian would be proud of this Catch 22.

One part of the affidavit was particularly disturbing.

<Start Quote>

While your Affiant was looking at the smoking devices UCxxx observed a-DVD that was for sale entitled "10 Rules for Dealing with Police", the DVD gave the following listed topics that were covered as:
A.Deal with traffic stops, street stops and police at your door;
B.Know your rights and maintain your coo!,
and;
C.Avoid common police tricks and prevent humiliating searches
 
Your Affiant notes that whife this DVD is informative for any citizen, when DVD becomes is introduced in a store that promotes use of illegal substanced this DVD becomes a tool for deceiving law enforcement to keep from being arrested.
The typical citizen would not need to know detailed information as to US Supreme Court case law regarding search and seizure because they are not transporting illegal substances in fear of being caught.

</End Quote>

WOW, lets look at this. A DVD was for sale to educate the public, must have been some criminal enterprise that produced it right, well no, it was produced by 'Flex Your Rights' a citizen advocacy group....

So then they state that this TOTALLY legal education information is not needed by the average citizen since they have notheing to hide (Sounds like 5th ammendment got a kick in the ass here). The police want to decide what you should and should not know about your rights, and knowing too much, makes you a target, Sieg Heil!!!

The sub-text of course, if you sell DVD's like this in your store, expect to get raided. (The DC library carries this DVD so I guess they are a criminal enterprise also)

The full test of the affidavid and warent is here, but is sobering reading, and I would have thought this was 1950 Russia, not 21st centry DC that home a liberty.

What do you think? Is this the way police are supposed to act?  Just rouge cops and an  A** hole judge? Of are we seeing the destruction of our rights and the constitution in the name of 'Law and Order'. Time to step up or:

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.