Had my first encounter with LEO

[KRoyal]

I've had mixed encounters, State troopers are so friendly once they see the CHL but city cops become even more rude. Don't know what it is about city cops but they just do not like it.

[Rex B]

I've only been stopped once with a CHL, by a small-town (Pelican Bay) cop with a very weak PC for stopping me.
The first thing he asked when he walked up was if I had any guns in the truck.
I said "Yes sir, and I have a CHL". Handed it to him. Got a "warning".
Neutral response, if any.

[doghouse]

I had two encounters on the same day far apart from each other. One was because the LEO said he got a call that a Black Tahoe was driving wrecklessly on the HWy which if passing someone on a deserted rd is wreckless ok??? I was pulled over in the next town and the LEO said nothing about the CHL when I handed it to him but he did look real close at both TDL and CHL comparing something with both of them. He told me someone called in my vehicle and he just wanted to make sure I was not drunk. I was fine with it and moved on. 20 mies from my home I got pulled over because of speeding by DPS. I gave him both licenses and he looked up and asked me where my weapon was and I pointed to my center console and he then went back and wrote the ticket which I deserve and had no issues with.

[03Lightningrocks]

The reason for not asking you to sit in the back seat of his car is obvious, unless he took your weapon first. I have been asked to sit in the front seat with Troopers on several occasions. I figured it was so they could keep an eye on me. They usually make small talk while sitting there. Maybe it is courteous way of interrogating you.

I have had plates stolen off my trailers on at least two occasions and I have had one trailer stolen from me. Both of these crimes are pretty common. When anything about a trailer looks suspicious, they know there is the possibility of either a stolen trailer or a plate that is registered to someone elses trailer. I know guys that have taken the plate off one of their trailers to use on a different trailer they own. I think it is a stupid way to be cheap, but it happens all the time.

[Humanphibian]

if you have a Texas Drivers License, or Texas Vehicle Registration, you have for all intent and purpose given Texas DPS probable cause to pull you over at any time.
Same situation with TX Parks and Wildlife....you got a huntin license....you have given consent to search your vehicle, residence,etc.......at any point, anytime that your license is in effect.

[anygunanywhere]

if you have a Texas Drivers License, or Texas Vehicle Registration, you have for all intent and purpose given Texas DPS probable cause to pull you over at any time.
Same situation with TX Parks and Wildlife....you got a huntin license....you have given consent to search your vehicle, residence,etc.......at any point, anytime that your license is in effect.

You may think so, but this is not true.

If it were true then my League City security alarm would allow the police to enter my home without a warrant.

Anygunanywhere

[03Lightningrocks]

if you have a Texas Drivers License, or Texas Vehicle Registration, you have for all intent and purpose given Texas DPS probable cause to pull you over at any time.
Same situation with TX Parks and Wildlife....you got a huntin license....you have given consent to search your vehicle, residence,etc.......at any point, anytime that your license is in effect.

You may think so, but this is not true.

If it were true then my League City security alarm would allow the police to enter my home without a warrant.

Anygunanywhere

I'm not so sure that analogy holds true. The difference between the two would be that your alarm requires a "permit"(if monitored) and driving requires a "license". You have the right to an alarm, but driving is considered a privilege. I also believe you already gave permission for the police to enter your home (if the alarm is going off) for the purposes of checking for theives when you applied and received a permit. So no warrant would be needed.

There are also some difference in that your home is on private property and the vehicle is usually on public property when out on the roads.

[SD4]

if you have a Texas Drivers License, or Texas Vehicle Registration, you have for all intent and purpose given Texas DPS probable cause to pull you over at any time.
Same situation with TX Parks and Wildlife....you got a huntin license....you have given consent to search your vehicle, residence,etc.......at any point, anytime that your license is in effect.

That is so far from the truth. At first I figured those statements were some sort of sarcasm or something. In the 60's, the Supreme Court held that 4th amendment was/is applicable to state/local governments by way of the due process clause of the 14th amendment. There is no probable cause in having a license.

[Humanphibian]

It was tongue in cheek...so to speak. DPS, like any law enforcement agency can find PC for virtually ANY vehicle rolling down the road.

"Hmmmm.....Mr. Smith, your plate appeared to me like it MAY have been modified, sorry for the inconvenience, but ya can't be too careful about these things" or "Mr. Pickup driver.....it appeared to me that you May have had some debris blow out of the cargo area of your truck....need to keep an eye on that"

And TPWD.....those guys have FAR reaching jurisdiction, again they have to have probable cause,....but John Q's idea of PC and their idea of it are two completely different things when it is two in the morning and you are on the side of the road with the red & blues in the rearview.

[SD4]

True enough. If law enforcement want to pull you over, they will find an infraction. Same thing with searches.

[BigBlueDodge]

Well today I brought closure to this episode. I went down to the local county court house and upgraded the plates on the trailer from farm plates to regular trailer tags. Now I am legit.

[SA-TX]

I think he wanted to see if I had a 'M' drivers license because he checked to see if I had a moped license plate, which I do. I'm not required to have a motorcycle license then.

Hmmm. Many years ago I had a 50 cc moped. I don't remember if the plate said "moped" (I think it did) but I had to have a class M license with a moped restriction (restriction K, if I remember correctly). The DPS site discusses this here (http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/search/sea ... PSInternet" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

Are you sure that you don't need one?

SA-TX

[anygunanywhere]

True enough. If law enforcement want to pull you over, they will find an infraction. Same thing with searches.

LEO finding any excuse to initiate a traffic stop has absolutely nothing to do with the idea that you give the state PC to initiate the stop just by possessing a state issued license.

Violating an individuals fourth amendment rights by making up an excuse is wrong no matter what the alleged offense. The state enacting legislation for tiny infractions like not using turn signals just to give LEO a reason to initiate stops is wrong and unconstitutional, IMHO.

Just because you break a traffic law does not give PC to do anything other than write a ticket.

Yes, if I have a city permit for an alarm I will allow LEO to enter my home to search for burglars. That does not mean LEO can turn on my computer and search it or go through my stuff. Just because they are in my house my fourth amendment rights still exist.

Anygunanywhere

[drinks]

As another poster implied, it is the most serious offense to a government you can do, you are depriving the government of revenue!

[Odin]

When I was a COP, we had a term for that kind of ticket, but I can't use it here.

Chas.

Gallus domesticus feces