Legal Commentary

Know Your Rights When it Comes to Police Stops

By Jeralyn

In Brooklyn, the cops are using a program called "Stop, Question, Frisk." They made 52,000 arrests last year. The ACLU today says Brooklyn Women Knew Their Rights and You Should Too.

The NYCLU offers this updated palm card (or iPhone app) walking you through what to do if you’re stopped by the police.

The palm card not only apprises people of their rights, it helps them defend those rights. For instance, it informs people how to proceed if they are unjustly arrested.

A word to the wise: learn the laws in your state. In New York, police can't make you identify yourself if they don't reasonably suspect you of a crime, but that is not the case in some other places. So check out the ACLU’s national know-your-rights card...

An iPhone App -- what could be simpler? If you don't need it, e-mail it to your kids or someone who might. [More...]

On a humorous note, here's a timeless Chris Rock video, "How Not To Get Your As* Kicked By the Police."

Full post as published by TalkLeft on July 13, 2010 (boomark / email).