Dockett live tweets getting pulled over by police

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

This. Guess they gotta be sure the black guy driving a nice car isn't up to no good.

If he has his car modified to look "gangster" like a typical drug dealer/rapper's car, there would be legitimate suspicion. When I had my windows tinted dark in college, I got pulled over a couple of times without speeding or breaking any laws (other than the tint law) and I brought the attention on myself. They could not see into my car, so they had the right to be suspicious. I have no problem with them doing my job. My cars were never searched and I was never assaulted on those occasions. Let them do their job. I don't see a problem here, other then the live Tweets.

[djnemo65]

Originally Posted by Monkeydad

If he has his car modified to look "gangster" like a typical drug dealer/rapper's car, there would be legitimate suspicion. When I had my windows tinted dark in college, I got pulled over a couple of times without speeding or breaking any laws (other than the tint law) and I brought the attention on myself. They could not see into my car, so they had the right to be suspicious. I have no problem with them doing my job. My cars were never searched and I was never assaulted on those occasions. Let them do their job. I don't see a problem here, other then the live Tweets.

The burden is on the police in a case like this (brief stop short of an arrest/probable cause) to provide articulable facts as to why they pulled the suspect over; a "hunch" based on what the cop thinks a drug dealer/rapper's car would typically look like is constitutionally deficient. (Working in criminal law this summer and just had a case dealing with this.) Now, if the officer observed the suspect committing a traffic offense, that would provide the reasonable suspicion necessary to effectuate a stop. In this case, the officer claimed that Docket was speeding, but I think that's highly suspect. Dockett says he wasn't speeding and they never issued him a ticket. Also, there is certainly no extant evidence indicating that Dockett's windows violated any tinting laws, you are just asserting that.

Look, I get what you are saying as a practical matter, don't get tinted windows and play loud rap music if you don't wanna get pulled over. But I think we all as Americans need to be a lot more vigorous in defending the Constitution. Dockett is someone who was stopped and detained in a manner that appears to me to have been constitutionally offensive. He knew his rights and fought back and hopefully taught those police officers a lesson, while providing a positive example for other Americans. Remember, the Constitution isn't there to protect criminals, it's there to protect innocent people like us. If you go to China the police can search you for anything they feel like, there are no legal standards, but this isn't China. The prohibition against arbitrary search and seizure was born of a world in which British soldiers harassed Americans with impunity. The minute we start excusing stuff like this the closer we get to reverting back to that world.

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by djnemo65

The burden is on the police in a case like this (brief stop short of an arrest/probable cause) to provide articulable facts as to why they pulled the suspect over; a "hunch" based on what the cop thinks a drug dealer/rapper's car would typically look like is constitutionally deficient. (Working in criminal law this summer and just had a case dealing with this.) Now, if the officer observed the suspect committing a traffic offense, that would provide the reasonable suspicion necessary to effectuate a stop. In this case, the officer claimed that Docket was speeding, but I think that's highly suspect. Dockett says he wasn't speeding and they never issued him a ticket. Also, there is certainly no extant evidence indicating that Dockett's windows violated any tinting laws, you are just asserting that.

Look, I get what you are saying as a practical matter, don't get tinted windows and play loud rap music if you don't wanna get pulled over. But I think we all as Americans need to be a lot more vigorous in defending the Constitution. Dockett is someone who was stopped and detained in a manner that appears to me to have been constitutionally offensive. He knew his rights and fought back and hopefully taught those police officers a lesson, while providing a positive example for other Americans. Remember, the Constitution isn't there to protect criminals, it's there to protect innocent people like us. If you go to China the police can search you for anything they feel like, there are no legal standards, but this isn't China. The prohibition against arbitrary search and seizure was born of a world in which British soldiers harassed Americans with impunity. The minute we start excusing stuff like this the closer we get to reverting back to that world.

We also have not heard the other side of the story...how was Dockett driving and behaving? Was he wearing clothes? I highly doubt he was just doing nothing or appearing to do nothing to get himself pulled over. I completely agree with you about our rights and the need to protect them, but be honest, when someone tells the story of them getting pulled over by police, they "never" did anything wrong, right? It's always the police overstepping their bounds. Heck, even the lady blabbing on her phone and driving 15 MPH under the speed limit on halfway across the white line to her right is clueless about what she did when she was pulled over. I've been nearly hit by morons who don't realize how bad they're driving and get angry at ME for honking my horn to get their attention before they hit me.

I can't take someone who Tweets their traffic stop very seriously. He's always been someone seeking attention.

Originally Posted by mlmpetert

We hear the discussion all the time about how athletes need to be role models. I think what Docket did is quite admirable. He didn’t do anything wrong and showed the young kids that look up to him that you don’t need to be harassed by police officers.

Wow.



A couple of days before getting pulled over for "no reason"...just saying. We're back to the "should pro athletes be out in the middle of the night at clubs and bars" conversation that we get in whenever there is a murder, stabbing, rape, arrest or self-inflicted gunshot wound with an NFL player.

ddockett My boy gave me a shot of somthing but it smelled like gasoline and I feel like smokey on friday in debo piegon coupe!

ddockett Ayeeeeeeeeeee! After 2am for some reason I walk bow legged! Is that norma?

ddockett RT @kiedie: My doctor just basically told me I was hypochondriac---------------hmmm No comment! Hey keeeeeeesha!

Then...

ddockett I don't know why the police always messing w/me I'm never gonna let them search my car with out a search warrant! No matter what!

Really?