Things Every Pothead Should Know Before Getting Busted

I'm just making this thread for everyone who's ever gotten busted, because it ain't fun and nobody should go through it unprepared.​

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What are some of the legal things every pothead should know when they're stopped by the cops?​

 

dont let the pigs oink around your car. aka dont consent to searches.

 

right. keep all ur stuff out of site. avoid smoking in cars. if you do, only have the lighter and the pipe out, keep insurance in your wallet not the glovebox

 

Apparently if you don't consent to a search then they have the right to search you under suspicion.

That's fucked.

 

Bullshit. I know in the USA, probable cause would be odor, seeing something illegal, or a occupant of the vehicle clearly under the influence.

There was a busted vid on here a while ago that took you step by step on getting pulled over with weed. The two main things are be polite and be quiet. If the officer doesn't ask about something then don't tell him about it unless it's a gun. The worst thing you can do is surprise an officer with a gun if you know he is going to find it eventually. But if you're simply being pulled for failing to stop at a stop sign and the car does not smell, your eyes are not red, and you are capable of communicating then you are good.

 

Way to know your laws, man, good one.

It's true. They can NOT search you without a warrant or probable cause. What's that mean? Hard physical evidence. (smell, visibly seeing pipes, weed, etc. or that someone is obviously stoned, etc.) Of course you should let them know if you're packin' a gun. If you're not using it for anything but protection, you're smart enough to have your concealed weapons' license anyway. But even then, if they search and find it, you can be charged with intent to kill, whether or not you meant to.
And yes, being very polite can help a lot. When you talk, make it very clear and sound confident. The best way to lie is to believe what you're saying. If you have everything hidden and the car doesn't smell, you just have to truly believe that they have NO reason to be pulling you over or searching your car... and act like it.

 

Denying a search usually raises a red flag with a cop, and he's gonna take the time to now find a way to search that car. If you have no smell, anything in plain view, aren't wearing "stoner clothing", no pot leaf stickers on your car... Chances are he's not gonna be able to find probable cause to search your car.

Its all about thinking ahead.

 

If you are a lady, don't keep it in your purse because that is considered part of your clothing. If they ask you to get out of the vehicle, take the keys and lock the doors. There is no reason they should go snooping around and never consent to a search or ADMIT ANYTHING!

 

Keep your shit in the trunk, and do not consent to any search. Other than that shut the hell up and don't talk more than you need to to.

Under these conditions any thing found in your truck was found illegaly and you can't be charged with. Wont stop them from takeing it though.

 

If you have a keypad for electric locks, rember the number and lock your keys in so its not an option for them to search. Also keep electric trunks locked and if you can get a lock for your stash.

 

I had a close close recently in the dorms with a buddy. I didn't consent to the search, and the cop treated me weird, and said he tried to get a search warrant, but I think he was just trying to scare us badly... ended up getting off scott free.. going to judicial affairs and everything...

 

This thread is missing a lot!

First of all, a cop does not have the right to even talk to unless they have probable cause. Probable cause means they either have S.A.F. (specific and articulable facts) or they have you for something else, like speeding or suspicious driving. If they ask you to stop or anything, and you don't want to, say "I'm sorry, officer, but I'm in a hurry I have to be somewhere soon!!". If they tell you to stop again, ask them if they are detaining you, and if they say yes ask them for SAF. They shouldn't bug you after that. SAF needs to be evidence specifically linking you to a crime. Odor counts as SAF, refusing a search or refusing to answer questions does not. If they aren't detaining you, then you aren't required to tell them anything. However, they will probably be much harder on you if you refuse to talk with them.

If you are pulled over, they technically do have the right to completely search your car (for a weapon), because you are already being detained. You should be able to bullshit your way through and say that you don't consent to a search without a warrant, you could even say that you are good friends with a lawyer or you are related to one.

If they show up at your house, do not open the door, and let them inside!!! Letting a police officer inside, or giving him room to step in is considered permission to enter and search around your house (correct me if I'm wrong here). If they say stuff like waiting is useless, we can easily get a warrant, but we'll be nicer and easier if you just let us inside right now, don't do it. NEVER EVER LET THEM IN WITHOUT A WARRANT.

Reasons to not consent to a search would be things like having embarrassing items, and being upset that you, an innocent, are going to get searched for no good reason. I hope some of you other people can come up with reasons on your own.

Most importantly, THE POLICE HABITUALLY LIE. They will tell you things like, we caught your friend, and he ratted on you, you need to admit it. Or they will yell at you repeatedly to stop, even when they don't have the right to make you stop. They will also say things like, a police officer saw somebody wearing the same exact clothing as you smoking a pipe. They might ask you questions, and then tell you that your answers fit what they were looking for. It's called freedom of speech and they are allowed to use it.

Lastly, always be as nice and polite as possible. Don't be nervous, there is no reason to be. Smile and keep your head held high if you are starting to get scared. The more you refuse (especially if you don't explain why you are refusing), the more suspicious you will be.

 

^^very good. i thought i was the only one who knew these things

 

This.

I know that at least in Illinois, there's a thing called the "implied consent" law, which basically states that when you get your driver's license, you've automatically already consented to searches like this. Not many people know about this law, which is why it works so well.

Also, if a policeman can see something in your house from his cruiser (e.g. pot plants in the window), he can legally search it without a warrant.

Bottom line? Know the law and don't be stupid.

 

No. Being "detained" means formally arrested. Then they can search your person, not your car, house, etc.

"In the United States citizens are protected by the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution against unreasonable search and seizure. In most cases, a search warrant is required to perform a lawful search. An exception to this requirement is searches incident to a lawful arrest. This is also known as the Chimel Rule after the case that established it, Chimel v. California. This rule permits an officer to perform a warrantless search during or immediately after a lawful arrest. This search is limited to only the person arrested and the area immediately surrounding the person in which the person may gain possession of a weapon or destroy or hide evidence."

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searches_incident_to_a_lawful_arrest)
Source: http://faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor/405/405lect04.htm

I'm pretty sure the "implied consent" law states that, by signing your license, you agree that if you deny a chemical blood test for a DWI/DUI-related investigation, your license will be suspended.

 

Like that family of aliens that I slaughtered and hid under the living room carpet?

Pfft, they'll never find it. lol

Good info, uplink. That's the stuff I was looking for.

 

Implied consent applies to breathalyzer tests, not searches.

 

Never volunteer any information. Keep your mouth shut, regardless what threats they throw at you, and they will but know that they are liars. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER consent to a search, even if your not carrying anything. Drive legal, make sure your car is legal, inspected, and unless your in New Hampshire carry liability insurance, don't drive without a license. You have the right to know WHY you are being pulled over, make sure you know the reason. Don't be frightened, a pig's greatest weapon is fear. On a personal note, I found that sealed glass works very well for transport. I was pulled over a couple years ago with a few pounds of quite pungent nuggets in my vehicle, the officer was a local sheriffs deputy who had basically pulled me over specifically to search (I was under investigation ) I kept my cool completely, the deputy was drug task force and he threatened me with this that and the other (he had been pulling over and harassing my wife <to intimidate her because he knew I was fairly unshakeable> for months prior to this) I qouted the constitution and drug laws to him profusely so he knew he couldn't pull anything with me, and I basically laughed at his threats, he continued to try to get me to consent to search and I flatly refused, finally he threatened to get a dog to walk around my vehicle, I told him to go ahead, he called in a k-9 unit and U.S. Customs, they got the dog out and the k-9 officer guided him around my vehicle several times with no response, I laughed out loud (i'm quite cocky as I know the law very well) the deputy then told me that the dog had shown "interest" and that was enough for him to search, I told them all (deputy, k-9 officer, customs guy) that they were liars, in order for probable cause to be met the dog has to alert (ie: bark) and if they felt they had enough to search without an alert not only would any evidence they found be invalid but they could all very well be in deep administrative trouble and I would most assuredly go to the media, the k-9 officer and customs guy laughed at the deputy and got in their cars and left, the deputy told me to "get the hell out of here" I laughed at him and told him not to come to a battle of wits unarmed, got in my car, and left without my substantial quantity of nuggets ever having been discovered, or disturbed. Thank you mason jars

 

there's a ton of things everyone should know about getting pulled over, here's just a few things that come to mind.

always deny a search. you don't have to have a reason why you don't want to be searched. it's one of your rights not to be subjected to any illegal searches. of course if you say no to a search, the cops might give you a hard time, but it's 100% legal to say no to the cop. the only other way he can search your car is with a search warrent, and they need to be signed by a judge. chances are, this will take a while and you'll probably send 10 minutes waiting before he comes back with your ticket and lets you go.

always keep things out of sight. anything thats locked (glove compartment, truck) will need a search warrent also, if you deny them from looking around. so always keep bud, papers, bowl, ect in there if you are driving.

when you get pulled over, you are only required by law to roll your window enough to pass information through. most people open their windows all the way. this allows the cop to stick his head in and look around. if you have the window cracked, this pervents him from doing this. always turn off your car (makes the cops feel safe, let's them know your not gonna run. if you are asked to step out of your car, lock the door and roll the windows up. if they ask why you did that, all you need to say is force of habbit. NEVER admit to anything. many people incriminate themselfs when they say they think they were speeding. wait for the cop to tell you why he pulled you over. you never want to admit to any wrong doing.

always be nice. at the end of the day, they are just doing their job and have familys to support as well. just being nice to the cop can get you away with small traffic violations and will make things go alot faster.

 

alot of cops make the mistake of sticking their heads into a cars window. this is not a safe thing to do and they are usually trained not to do it, just because if you had a handgun next to your seat on your left side you can get it and blow their head off in .2 seconds. not that im condoning killing cops. just informing