The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Duty to inform and your right to not self incriminate

Edward429451 · January 5, 2011, 11:52 AM

I do not think this thread is drifting. Discussing how police behavior and patterns of enforcement affect our responses to them and the degree of honesty we engage the officer with is very relevant and acertain cause/effect is indicated.

No officer let me slide on 6 violatons, I was being facetious to illustrate the point. Following the law is a good thing but a liberal amount of common sense should be applied. If trust were there between citizens and officers then respect and relations would be improved.

Some do not realize that while technically speaking...it is illegal to lie to a cop, however, it is totally lawful for officers to trick us into revealing violations, or even to outright lie to us in order to get us to submit and do what they want...not a very good foundation to build on.

Do me once, shame on you...do me twice, shame on me! Quoting the letter of the law would be good if we were talking about murder, robbery, and so forth, but accidently walking into a school armed? No slaughter occured? No victims? No law was broken because there was no victim.

This is a simple 5th Admendment issue. If citizens could achieve a level of confidence in officer amicability, we would feel safe to be more honest with you.

January 5, 2011, 11:52 AM	#27
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	I do not think this thread is drifting. Discussing how police behavior and patterns of enforcement affect our responses to them and the degree of honesty we engage the officer with is very relevant and acertain cause/effect is indicated. No officer let me slide on 6 violatons, I was being facetious to illustrate the point. Following the law is a good thing but a liberal amount of common sense should be applied. If trust were there between citizens and officers then respect and relations would be improved. Some do not realize that while technically speaking...it is illegal to lie to a cop, however, it is totally lawful for officers to trick us into revealing violations, or even to outright lie to us in order to get us to submit and do what they want...not a very good foundation to build on. Do me once, shame on you...do me twice, shame on me! Quoting the letter of the law would be good if we were talking about murder, robbery, and so forth, but accidently walking into a school armed? No slaughter occured? No victims? No law was broken because there was no victim. This is a simple 5th Admendment issue. If citizens could achieve a level of confidence in officer amicability, we would feel safe to be more honest with you.