-
Yes. Police can, will, and often do lie; especially if it helps them make arrests. The rules regarding entrapment usually tip in favor of law-enforcement, so police won't hesitate to trick you into incriminating yourself or others...
-
Generally not. The Bill of Rights protections that matter most during police encounters are mandated by the U.S. Constitution as interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court, and all states are required to follow them. States can offer more protection of these rights, but not less. There are some variations regarding...
-
No. If a police officer asks your permission to search, you are under no obligation to consent. The main reason why officers ask is because they don't have enough evidence to search without your consent. Don't expect an officer to tell you of your right not to consent. Any time you consent to a search request you are naively waiving your constitutional rights.
-
Videotaping or photographing police in public places is usually legal, so long as you don't interfere with their activities. Nonetheless, doing so will often get you arrested...
-
Yes. Minors generally have the same rights as adults. For example, minors can refuse searches and decline to answer questions without an attorney present. Nevertheless, minors face unique challenges when attempting to exercise these rights...
-
During a legitimate traffic stop, police may order the driver and any passengers out of the vehicle. This rule is intended to protect officers' safety, but it's often used for investigatory purposes...
-
This is a tricky issue. The simple answer is that citizens who are minding their own business are not obligated to "show their papers" to police. In fact, there is no law requiring citizens to carry identification of any kind. Once you get passed the surface, however, things get much more complicated...
-
In addition to compromising your safety and the safety of others, driving drunk is one of the stupidest things you can do, and one of the easiest ways to create overwhelming legal problems for yourself. DUI laws vary from state to state, and they have become increasingly harsh over the years...
-
No. The Supreme Court has never ruled that police must present the warrant when performing a search. The purpose of the warrant is to...
-
Unfortunately, many people get fooled by some version of this commonly used police officer's line: "Everything will be easier if you just cooperate". That's true to some extent -- it will make things much easier for the police officer who's trying to arrest you! -- but when it comes to you consenting to searches and answering incriminating questions, it couldn't be further from the truth...
-
Be aware that private security personnel outnumber police officers in the United States by three to one. As a result, you may be more likely to be confronted by a security guard than by a police officer. You must also be aware of the following places where security personnel (governmental or otherwise) are permitted to search you without a warrant...
-
Unfortunately, police may sometimes search you even if you refuse consent. If they find anything illegal, you'll have to get a lawyer and fight it out in court, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the search will hold up...
-
College students suffer from an unfortunate lack of privacy rights in many situations. The university owns the dorm, so school officials can often search rooms at their own discretion. College students still have 4th Amendment rights that apply in other situations...
-
No. We believe that most police officers are good, hardworking people who are doing a tough job. We need police to safeguard the life, liberty, and property of all people. To do this best, police officers should...
-
Everyone should be trained to assert their constitutional rights under the 4th Amendment in order to avoid the hassle and humiliation of police misconduct and illegal searches. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics report on citizen-police contacts...
|
The time has come for the Florida Legislature to provide a fair hearing on the ban on adoption by gay parents. Put quite simply, Florida's adoption ban hurts children. It is time to put children's needs ahead of anti-gay bigotry and allow prospective parents to be considered based on their ability to serve the child's interest by providing a permanent, stable and loving home.
The courts have already begun to recognize that Florida's ban on adoption hurts our children and our families, as most recently evidenced by a decision granting adoption of two foster children to a gay man in North Miami who was the only family they had known. What is most telling is that the majority of Floridians believe that the adoption ban should be repealed, allowing judges to grant adoptions to gay and lesbian parents just like they do for straight parents. But the court of public opinion doesn't have to wait for the wheels of justice; the Florida Legislature can end this senseless ban that hurts our children during this legislative session.
There are a multitude of reasons why Florida's ban on adoption by gay people needs to be repealed:
- Florida's ban on adoption by gay people hurts children.
- Every major child welfare organization is opposed to laws that ban gay people from adopting. Organizations opposed to such broad categorical exclusions include the Child Welfare League of America, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association, and the North American Council on Adoptable Children.
- Each case is unique and those closest to the child and those with the most knowledge about the specifics of each case should be allowed to decide what is best, not politicians making a political statement against gay people.
- It is bad public policy to limit the number of potential adoptive parents by banning broad categories of people. The best way to protect children in to put all potential adoptive parents through a strenuous review process.
- A number of legislators who helped pass the ban on adoption by gay people almost 30 years ago now say THEY WERE WRONG.
- It is time to schedule a fair hearing. Bills have been introduced in both houses of the Florida legislature to allow gays to be considered as potential adoptive parents.
Click here to urge the Speaker of the House to promptly schedule a hearing.
Click here to ask the Senate committee to promptly schedule a hearing date on Senate Bill 500.
Thank you for taking action on this important issue!
|
|
What are we doing?
The 4th Amendment Podcast
|
|
