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The Illustrated Guide to Law
How the law works… and how it doesn't.
I thought you were going to tell us about letting police into part of the house. What happens when you let the police into the entry area (say ground floor of a 2 story flat) and they want to search a different part? What about a sublet room in the house that is locked and the owner does not have access to? What about being let in by someone other then the owner?
Every good story needs time to develop…
Sorry – I am just a little caught up in what happens next and I want to know more.
Hey, you got me to respond after reading this site for an hour! /)
I know it’s late, but I have this image of Mshell sitting in front of their computer, police at the front door, desperately waiting for this web site to update so they know what sort of consent to give. And it made me chuckle.
Can they also lie about what rights you have? If you decline their request, and then they lie and say that they have a right to go through with it, you’re not given much of a choice in the matter.
Getting to it…
got to love that cocaine sign.
Not quite sure what they mean in that first lie – are they implying that they’ll just take the stolen property back, no questions asked and no charges filed?
Yes, that’s the implication.
So if I understand things correctly, a law enforcement officer IS allowed to lie to you, but YOU aren’t allowed to lie to a law enforcement officer conducting an investigation without being charged. That seems like a double standard that is very wrong. Comments?
I was surprised when I read that in the US, suspects are not allowed to lie, because in Germany (where I’m from) they are.
Eh, it’s not so bad. There’s always the 5th Amendment. Just don’t say anything at all.
Can you be charged for all lies to cops, or just for lying under oath?
At least when it comes to the feds, any lie is fair game, according to Ken over at popehat.
http://popehat.com/2011/03/18/just-a-friendly-reminder-please-shut-the-hell-up/
Did anyone else notice the reference in the second example to a previous comic? Because now I want to know if the first one is also a callback.
This is two separate things though. Obviously an undercover cop has to be able to lie; nobody is going to think it’s reasonable to require them to say they’re a cop and get their balls shot off, even if they don’t think undercover cops should be a thing. But there’s no reason whatsoever to apply the same standards to uniformed officers. It seems to be quite reasonable to me that a cop in uniform should be expected to be honest.
“…and on the left, you will find cocaine, and on the right is our heroin. Oh, and as the framed picture above the fruit bowl reminds us, ‘Welcome to Drugs.’ “