4th Amendment Takes Another Hit

Every time I think they couldn't possibly weaken the 4th any more than they have already, something like this comes along.

So the cops have a suspect for a burglary and want DNA evidence, but they don't have enough to get a warrant, so what do they do? Well, they just stop him under the pretense of administering a DUI test, and then keep the saliva he leaves on the machine as "abandoned" property. Certainly, a court we see straight through this sham and reprimand the police who tried to pull the stunt, right?

Nope, California Court of Appeals says such a tactic is just fine.

So the police can't order you to give them a DNA sample directly, but they can order you to do something that gives them a sample indirectly, even if they order you to do it merely to get said sample. Make sense? Thought not.

Texas Makes It A Felony To Steal an Aluminum Can

Via the removal of a clause in a statute obviously meant to combat the theft of copper wiring and such, Texas has now made it a felony to steal an aluminum can . . . or a penny (pre-1982). That means no voting and no gun ownership, not to mention the fact that a felony record pretty much screws your chances at getting a job forever.

Now, some people will claim that a prosecutor would never interpret the statute in such a manner, but I think we've seen where prosecutors naturally drift to when confronted with someone they really, really want to put in jail for something.

It's Not About Safety, It's About Power

Washington D.C. cops are now arresting people who are caught driving with expired tags. Does forgetting to pay your yearly protection money "tag fee" constitute a threat to public safety, or merely to authority?

That's a rhetorical question.

Maybe next they can start seizing the cars through civil asset forfeiture too. You know, for more "safety".