In Minnesota, the law regarding Consent Searches was that the cop could ask for your consent to search your vehicle at any time, for any reason. That didn't mean that you had to give your consent though. You had every right to say NO and the cop would not search your vehicle. Let me say that again.
YOU HAD EVERY RIGHT TO SAY NO AND THE COP COULD NOT SEARCH YOUR VEHICLE!
I guess I didn't explain what a consent search is. A consent search is where the cop asks you, "Can I search your vehicle" and you say yay or neigh. If you say yes, he searches your car, you say no, they don't search your car. You can restrict where the cop searches. For example, you can say yes, but not the trunk, and he can't search the trunk unless he has PC to. You can say yes and then change your mind once he's searching and say no and he would stop right then and there.
The law changed somewhat recently (within the last few years I believe) to state that the police could not even ASK to do a consent search on your vehicle unless the cop had "Articulable Suspcion" to make them think there was illegal contraband in the vehicle.
The judge said his reasoning was, in not so many words, that Minnesota's residents were too stupid to know that they had the right to decline.
What are your views on this? Good change or Bad change?
-Kooter
YOU HAD EVERY RIGHT TO SAY NO AND THE COP COULD NOT SEARCH YOUR VEHICLE!
I guess I didn't explain what a consent search is. A consent search is where the cop asks you, "Can I search your vehicle" and you say yay or neigh. If you say yes, he searches your car, you say no, they don't search your car. You can restrict where the cop searches. For example, you can say yes, but not the trunk, and he can't search the trunk unless he has PC to. You can say yes and then change your mind once he's searching and say no and he would stop right then and there.
The law changed somewhat recently (within the last few years I believe) to state that the police could not even ASK to do a consent search on your vehicle unless the cop had "Articulable Suspcion" to make them think there was illegal contraband in the vehicle.
The judge said his reasoning was, in not so many words, that Minnesota's residents were too stupid to know that they had the right to decline.
What are your views on this? Good change or Bad change?
-Kooter