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The best way to avoid civil asset forfeiture in a traffic stop is to just not ever answer any nosy questions the officer may ask. When pulled over, never answe

The best way to avoid civil asset forfeiture in a traffic stop is to just not ever answer any nosy questions the officer may ask. When pulled over, never answer questions. You don't have to. If the police officer asks you to remain once they've written the ticket, ask if you're being detained or if you're free to go. Once they've written the ticket, the stop is over, but aggressive police will try to fool people into thinking the stop is not over. The longer they can keep you there, the more pressure they can apply. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDJrQBwJpqk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDJrQBwJpqk

valuearb 9y ago
Not only should you not answer questions at a traffic stop, you should never talk to the police under any circumstances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE
- ehnto 9y ago
  Is that really the practical/reasonable thing to do? It's also going to differ per state whether or not you can ignore their requests and not unnecessarily escalate the situation. And if you did brake a traffic law, recieve the ticket. Say hey officer, sorry about that thing we both know I just did. If they probe further or try to search your car then stand your ground.
  - valuearb 9y ago
    Watch the traffic stop video if it's a traffic stop. But watch the video I posted for everything else. If they are looking for a suspect, be very wary. Some cops ain't exactly looking for the right suspect, just anyone who can fit.
  - nyle 9y ago
    > Is that really the practical/reasonable thing to do? It's also going to differ per state whether or not you can ignore their requests and not unnecessarily escalate the situation. The guy had the right to remain silent, and he exercised it appropriately. Usually the people in these stories do boneheaded shit that earn them their outcome. He admitted nothing, so they brought in the dog and faked the results to justify a search. At that point his testimony doesn't really matter-- the dog gave them probable cause to search. He did everything he should have done in this situation, including standing his ground-- unfortuantely your rights have limits when the cop you're dealing with is bent. The only boneheaded thing he did was to sign the waiver, which very clearly stated in bold letters that he was relinquishing his rights over the money.
- javajosh 9y ago
  I've been thinking about "don't talk to the police", updated for the smartphone era. Our phones record our words, our locations; it's a treasure trove of information, aka evidence. You can choose not to speak to the police, but can your phone choose not to speak?
  - nyle 9y ago
    Cops can't search your cell phone without your consent or a warrant. Given native encryption on modern phones, phones choosing not to speak is a problem that takes care of itself quite well-- hence all the recent nonsense about the government needing backdoors.
    - chris_wot 9y ago
      Wasn’t there a ruling that they also can’t force you to give your passcode, but they can force you to use Touch ID?
      - craftyguy 9y ago
        So don't use 'touchid' to secure it.
- oh_teh_meows 9y ago
  This might be a contentious question, but how did it come to this in US (likely not the only country suffering from problems with law enforcers), i.e best course of action would be to not talk to the police? I imagine if I were in say, Japan, I wouldn't have to worry about cops having it out for me (especially if I'm innocent).
  - valuearb 9y ago
    You are naive if you assume police in any country have your best interests at heart. An individual cop might, but in general they are rewarded for catching criminals, not necessarily in cash but in promotions, awards, and perceived job performance with their superiors. It’s not just the US, more laws get passed everywhere making more individual behavior illegal. It’s just too easy to catch you on something.
  - gozur88 9y ago
    The reason you don't talk to cops in the US or Canada (and some other countries, I assume) is by law your refusal isn't taken as an indication of guilt. So you have nothing to gain and everything to lose. Police interrogations aren't like normal conversations. Even if you're innocent, if you misspeak it goes on the record the way you said it. Think about how many times you've been in a normal conversation and had to go back and clarify something you just said. Your friends are going to give you the benefit of the doubt; a prosecutor can use that kind of thing to make it look like you're changing your story. There are countries in which your refusal to answer questions can be a factor in determining your guilt at a later trial, so you have to answer questions. But that's not a good thing.

valuearb 9y ago

Not only should you not answer questions at a traffic stop, you should never talk to the police under any circumstances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE

ehnto 9y ago
Is that really the practical/reasonable thing to do? It's also going to differ per state whether or not you can ignore their requests and not unnecessarily escalate the situation. And if you did brake a traffic law, recieve the ticket. Say hey officer, sorry about that thing we both know I just did. If they probe further or try to search your car then stand your ground.
- valuearb 9y ago
  Watch the traffic stop video if it's a traffic stop. But watch the video I posted for everything else. If they are looking for a suspect, be very wary. Some cops ain't exactly looking for the right suspect, just anyone who can fit.
- nyle 9y ago
  > Is that really the practical/reasonable thing to do? It's also going to differ per state whether or not you can ignore their requests and not unnecessarily escalate the situation. The guy had the right to remain silent, and he exercised it appropriately. Usually the people in these stories do boneheaded shit that earn them their outcome. He admitted nothing, so they brought in the dog and faked the results to justify a search. At that point his testimony doesn't really matter-- the dog gave them probable cause to search. He did everything he should have done in this situation, including standing his ground-- unfortuantely your rights have limits when the cop you're dealing with is bent. The only boneheaded thing he did was to sign the waiver, which very clearly stated in bold letters that he was relinquishing his rights over the money.
javajosh 9y ago
I've been thinking about "don't talk to the police", updated for the smartphone era. Our phones record our words, our locations; it's a treasure trove of information, aka evidence. You can choose not to speak to the police, but can your phone choose not to speak?
- nyle 9y ago
  Cops can't search your cell phone without your consent or a warrant. Given native encryption on modern phones, phones choosing not to speak is a problem that takes care of itself quite well-- hence all the recent nonsense about the government needing backdoors.
  - chris_wot 9y ago
    Wasn’t there a ruling that they also can’t force you to give your passcode, but they can force you to use Touch ID?
    - craftyguy 9y ago
      So don't use 'touchid' to secure it.
oh_teh_meows 9y ago
This might be a contentious question, but how did it come to this in US (likely not the only country suffering from problems with law enforcers), i.e best course of action would be to not talk to the police? I imagine if I were in say, Japan, I wouldn't have to worry about cops having it out for me (especially if I'm innocent).
- valuearb 9y ago
  You are naive if you assume police in any country have your best interests at heart. An individual cop might, but in general they are rewarded for catching criminals, not necessarily in cash but in promotions, awards, and perceived job performance with their superiors. It’s not just the US, more laws get passed everywhere making more individual behavior illegal. It’s just too easy to catch you on something.
- gozur88 9y ago
  The reason you don't talk to cops in the US or Canada (and some other countries, I assume) is by law your refusal isn't taken as an indication of guilt. So you have nothing to gain and everything to lose. Police interrogations aren't like normal conversations. Even if you're innocent, if you misspeak it goes on the record the way you said it. Think about how many times you've been in a normal conversation and had to go back and clarify something you just said. Your friends are going to give you the benefit of the doubt; a prosecutor can use that kind of thing to make it look like you're changing your story. There are countries in which your refusal to answer questions can be a factor in determining your guilt at a later trial, so you have to answer questions. But that's not a good thing.