Exactly. It has been proven that roving patrols catch more drunks than these BS roadblocks. But the cops hand out tons of tickets at these things. If the stats read that they got 3 DUI’s, then they also handed out 40 tickets. They will ticket anything and everything at one of those, all the way down to a burned out bulb, or something hanging off the rear view mirror.
But checkpoints are all about safety. Uh-huh…
Not to mention that our DUI laws are preposterous in the first place.
If the true goal was safety, we’d be re-testing old people whose reactions at 0.00% BAC are equal to a healthy young person who is at 0.15%.
We also need to give much steeper penalties for people who wreck in any way/cause property damage or personal injury while intoxicated, and ease up on the people who haven’t actually hurt anyone.
amen… just like the “seat belt checks” they had a few years ago… you see the sign for about a 1/4 mile away… obviously you are going to put your seat belt on… its just for ticketing no registration, insurance, etc… just a money maker… its sickening.
“Legal U-turn in advance of checkpoint does not justify a stop.” Commonwealth v. Scavello, 703 A.2d 36 (PA. Super. 1997)
LOL @ you bishes for not knowing the laws.
I was merely relaying what I was told, perhaps it’s the method in which they turn around, and flee away? regardless, this state trooper told me his job is typically the chase car for the people who turn and run…
Motorist’s avoidance or attempt to avoid police roadblock must be coupled with other articulable facts in order to give police officer reasonable suspicion that motorist is in violation of Vehicle Code or that criminal activity is afoot, warranting a stop.
In fact, the probable cause affidavit, which presented the sole evidence of the reason for the investigatory stop, clearly expresses that Trooper Miller’s duty was to stop vehicles that attempted to avoid the roadblock.
Basically, the cops just have to be more creative in their probable cause affidavits. They might be wrong, but if they claim you went too fast, failed to signal, went over the lines, or otherwise did something suspicious, the traffic stop will be legitimate. You’ll really only get out of it if they write (as in Scavello’s case) that it was solely because you avoided the checkpoint. If they “couple it with other articulable facts”, the stop will be legitimate.
That being said, I’m all for turning around, particularly for those of us that have not been drinking.
I guess this all started out with a good idea “get the really drunk people off the road”.
But, as usual, when government gets hold of anything the totally fuck it all up.
The .08 limit is just silly. Anyone can drive just fine at that limit, I know I can. That’s one or two beers for most of us.
They tell us that it’s constitutional to stop us to check to see if we’ve been drinking…not really sure if I’m buying that in the first place, but then they use the stop to check everything else “while they’re at it”. That’s the real BS of the whole thing. If it’s a DUI checkpoint then just fucking check to see if I’ve been drinking! And if I’m not, then that should be the fucking end of it. My inspection sticker, my license, my owner’s card, my stupid fucking seat belt, (my “PAPERS”) are none of your fucking business unless I have broken some law.
If the limit was something reasonable and that’s ALL they checked I would not have a problem with it.
Good i hope your fam gets wiped out by a drunk driver. and i’m glad they get people for other shit… my car is legal why shouldnt everyone elses be.
You are missing the point here…
This isn’t NAZI Germany or Soviet Russia where they can just stop you anywhere or anytime and demand your “PAPERS”!
Well, not yet anyway…
If it’s a DUI checkpoint then just fucking check to see if I’ve been drinking! And if I’m not, then that should be the fucking end of it. My inspection sticker, my license, my owner’s card, my stupid fucking seat belt, (my “PAPERS”) are none of your fucking business unless I have broken some law.
you.make.no.case
have good inspection stickers and no drugs in the car and no oustanding warrents and you should be ok… basically its a trash collection check point. should they check for that stuff no but if i gets people to fucken act right…i’m all for it. I pay my taxes, pay my tickets, have a clean record, …etc live a honest life…i m glad to see scum PAY…whether its jail time, fines…whatever…
Down in MD they have special devices that scan license plates as people drive by and instantly checks them against databases to see if there is a reason to pull people over. I don’t know what all databases they check (like if it’s for felony warrants or people with expired registration or what), but they exist and they do use them.
Scary shit IMHO. Not this in particular, just the way things are headed on that front…
The new PA State Police cars have the same devices on some of the new cars, the ones that you cannot really see the light bar.