DSU, state leaders 'incensed' after team bus stopped, searched in Georgia

[exboyfil]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/dsu-state-leaders-incensed-team-090130195.html


I am not sure how this is constitutional? They removed bags to allow a drug sniffing dog to examine them? They opened a sealed present with no evidence of drugs and without a warrant?

All this for a pretextual driving in the left lane. It is a BS violation of the 4th amendment.


The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

[PittBlue]

1. The police statements were so demeaning.

[Wednesdays]

2. It most likely IS unconstitutional...

but good luck pursuing the case with the present court system in place.

[NoMoreRepugs]

3. The furious pace of the ReichWing in this country to

turn back time a hundred years will go to LUDICROUS speed when they recapture the House, Senate and Oval Office. Write it down.

[exboyfil]

4. You are right

I see no check on the fascism.

[certainot]

44. but plenty of opportunity. the DSU women's b-ball broadcasts on 1410 WDOV -an x-limbaugh RW station!

glenn beck, the limbaugh replacements etc......

happening all over the country at least 87 m ajor unis support 260+ x-limbaugh stations like that!

in GEORGIA 14 Georgia 7, Georgia Tech 5, Georgia Southern 2

be a hell of a lot less fascism in this country if students at those unis protested those unis instead of town halls etc when they don't like losing roe v wade, for instance...... just one school having a discussion about the stupidity of it would scare advertisers off a lot of RW radio. other schools would have to follow.

[NoMoreRepugs]

54. Totally agree. I fantasize that 5 star AA athletes boycott ReichWing Universities

in ReichWing states until their legislatures allow ALL persons to vote and share the same rights as WHITES. IMO that could change everything really quick. You know how the goobers love their football teams.

[certainot]

61. there are a lot of pro ball teams doing the same. all it would take is one pro to get that going on

all pro teams and colleges

and this school, DSU, isn't even on the main list at fakenewsradio - that was from a list of the best mens college football teams so there are many more schools doing it with other sports too

[exboyfil]

74. Next pro collective bargaining agreement

Put in refusal to be drafted to a state with restrictive abortion laws or traded to such a state.

That would change things pretty quickly.

[certainot]

87. yeah, limbaugh's attacks on kneeling athletes alone would be a long list to show them

how many tim tebos are there?

[Novara]

78. We're already going backwards at warp speed

This is a violation of the 4th Amendment. I hope they sue the hell out of the state of Georgia and their asshole cops.

[Ferrets are Cool]

5. Maddening

[Cerridwen]

6. DSU women's lacrosse team

Another article with additional details:

https://thehornetonline.com/2022/05/04/delaware-state-womens-lacrosse-team-racially-profiled-by-georgia-state-police/

One of the officers said, “If there is anything in your luggage, we’re probably gonna find it….I’m not looking for a little marijuana, but I’m pretty sure you guys chaperones will probably be disappointed if we find it.” He then stated, “If there is something in there that is questionable, please tell me now because, guess what.. we’re not gonna be able to help. Trying to get the ladies to admit to ownership of the “imaginary” drugs, the officers told them they would go to prison, if they found something. The team told the officers they did not have any narcotics, but they were still skeptical and explained they still had to check their luggage.

The officers instructed Mr. Jones to open the bus trunk, as they proceeded to go through the ladies personal belongings. Everyone was confused as to why they were looking through the luggage, when there was no probable cause. The team members were in shock, as they witnessed the officers rambling through their bags. They brought the K-9 dog out to sniff their luggage. The cops began tossing underwear and other feminine products, in an attempt to locate narcotics.

Every time the students turned their heads, more officers appeared at the scene. The cops kept doubling, as they went from two to six officers. They checked bags for 20 minutes, then explained it was necessary, in case of child trafficking or drugs. The fact of the matter is the underlying racism the Delaware Women’s lacrosse team endured. The officers tried to get them to admit to having drugs, while there was none in their possession. The officers conducted an unlawful search because there was no probable cause. Majority of the team members had never experienced an encounter with the police, making this a traumatic incident for them.

----

More at link

[vlyons]

11. "child trafficing" really??? WTF!!!

another chapter in the Handmaid's Tale. Like there's a child hidden in the zipper pocket in a suitcase?

Who put them up to this harrassment? Were there lesbians and/or transgenders on the bus? Well the message was clearly, you damn lesbians and transgenders stay out of our pristine Christo-Fascist state.

[Cerridwen]

15. I was wondering about Georgia's abortion laws.

Then I read "child trafficking" and "drugs". I guess any pretext will do.

Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia.

All of the above?

[LiberalArkie]

30. They got pulled over because of the bus "Driving in the left lane". We now have that law in

Arkansas. I wondered why the left lane law was passed, I guess they needed another pretext to pull some one over.

[Cerridwen]

34. I guess "broken tail light" had become to obvious and common. n/t

[marie999]

43. North Carolina passed the law, and I am glad they did.

Some people still travel in the left-hand lane but not that many. It can be dangerous having to weave in and out of traffic just to maintain the speed limit. For the record, I usually drive 65-70 in a 55 zone.

[JanMichael]

90. So you drive 15 mph over the speed limit?

I don't know if it's still the law but if you're caught going over 15 mph over the speed limit in North Carolina they can actually arrest you for reckless driving. Which quite frankly it is. Do you tailgate too?

[marie999]

92. I am a 100% service-connected veteran with a veteran's disability license plate.

All the cops here are former Marines. I have been stopped three times and told to slow down. Will I meet up with a disgruntled cop someday? Probably. Oh, I'm White.

[JanMichael]

93. So that entitles you to speed?

Tailgate too?

[marie999]

96. I don't tailgate, I wear my seatbelt, and always signal. And no, I am not entitled to speed.

I don't speed because I can get away with it, I have always driven fast and received many tickets for it before moving to North Carolina.

[Rebl2]

49. We have

had that law for many years in MO. Left lane for passing only-ridiculous.

[jalan48]

60. We have that law in Oregon. Cars driving slow in the left lane will get ticketed.

[AZLD4Candidate]

67. There's another state my wife and I won't visit, like we have a reason to go to Georgia anyway

I expect nothing less from Britain's first prison colony before Australia.

[exboyfil]

75. I may have driven through it for the last time

To bring my mom back from Florida. I would like to visit the aquarium in Atlanta, but I think I will fly in and fly out and not even drive.

[LiberalArkie]

84. If a cop sees you in the left lane even if you are about to pass the car 25 feet ahead of you, you

get a ticket, If you are going 56 MPH in a 55 MPH zone that is a cause to pull you over also.

[wnylib]

12. The only thing that surprises me

about this is that the cops didn't plant any drugs during their "search."

[Cerridwen]

16. Shit. I'd forgotten about that old tactic.

The stuff of nightmares.

[wnylib]

17. Would have been interesting if

they had done it and were caught in the act on someone's phone. Someone with the prudence to remain silent about it until it was safe to reveal what they had recorded.

[Cerridwen]

19. One of the articles noted that many of the women had

never been stopped and searched like this before. It's possible it didn't cross their minds during the search.

After the search...I'm just gonna guess a lot of the young women will be having ugly nightmares for a while. I hope they have quality counselors available for them.

[wnylib]

29. I hope they have quality lawyers

to sue for the emotional damage of having their civil rights violated.

[Cerridwen]

31. Good point. n/t

[Rebl2]

50. Exactly!!!

[KS Toronado]

22. That happens more often than people realize.

[wnylib]

32. Yes it does. That's why I was surprised that

they didn't do it in this case.

[KS Toronado]

42. Believe a busload of people armed with "smart phones"

and pointed at the officers was a big deterrent.

[Rebl2]

53. Surprised the police

didn’t threaten them for filming them.

[mountain grammy]

40. My first thought..

[sop]

24. Any time a cop says "tell me now because, guess what...we're not gonna be able to help"...

Just keep your mouth shut. Cops only want to help you go to jail.

[lpbk2713]

77. It must have been a slow night and this was their idea of fun.

I hope every one of them that was on the scene is held accountable and their supervisors as well.

[SoonerPride]

7. Brown and black people know this is a fascist country

And always has been.

White privilege has kept that hidden from you.

[Solomon]

38. Thank you!

[LiberalFighter]

8. Were they state or local police?

This is why there needs to be a national law enforcement database to keep track of bad police. And federal funding is based on compliance of national standards.

[exboyfil]

9. Liberty County Sheriff's Office

I think the DOJ should open a file on them.

[wnylib]

14. There's some irony for you.

Civil liberties being violated in a county named Liberty.

[obamanut2012]

28. So, not even actual cops, but hired by their elected buddy Bubba "law enforcement"

[multigraincracker]

62. DOJ needs to file Federal charges for

violation of ones Civil Rights, under Color of Law.

Open and shut case.

[exboyfil]

65. Actually no unless you can show they were specifically targeted by their race

As far as the pretextual stop etc. The even more liberal SC was ok with it let alone what abomination this current court would come up with.

If I was that sheriff I would say be on the look out for some bus full of white Baptists driving in the left lane. Demonstrate to the SC that it wasn't racial bias, just a totalitarian state.

[multigraincracker]

66. Nothing needed for Civil Rights based on skin color.

Civil Rights include the 4th Amendment

[exboyfil]

73. According to the SC Terry and Johnson

This is perfectly legal and not a violation of the 4th amendment. Even Rodriquez only limited it to a reasonable time for the probable cause on four legs to get there.

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/13-9972_p8k0.pdf

[muriel_volestrangler]

101. That looks like the SC said they *can't* extend it beyond the traffic-stop-related time

We hold that a police stop exceeding the time needed to handle the matter for which the stop was made violates the Constitution’s shield against unreasonable seizures. A seizure justified only by a police-observed traffic violation, therefore, “become[s] unlawful if it is prolonged beyond the time reasonably required to complete th[e] mission” of issuing a ticket for the violation. Id., at 407. The Court so recognized in Caballes, and we adhere to the line drawn in that decision.

6-3 decision (Thomas and Alito were the judges in the 3 who remain in the SC)

[hunter]

106. Bad cops should be treated like sex offenders.

Fire them, put them on a national registry, and make sure they never get work in law enforcement or private security again, not even as mall cops.

I don't think this would have any detrimental effect on actual police work. If a police force has time to stop and harass college athletes on a bus it's clearly overstaffed with useless racist assholes.

Unfortunately the police forces in many communities are there to keep these communities white. I grew up in such a place. The police regularly harassed non-white people who didn't look like they "belonged there." Most of the people living in this 99% white community were oblivious, considered themselves "colorblind," and didn't know why people who were not white did not want to live there. This was in California, not some stereotypical Southern town.

I haven't lived in a majority white community for a long time now, not since the mid 'eighties. I'm still very aware of my white privileges.

[Emile]

10. I use to see Michigan State Police do that everyday on I 94.

[sop]

13. Do Georgia cops stop and search white church groups traveling on buses, too?

This is outrageous. It's a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment. Every player and coach on that bus should contact Benjamin Crump.

[twodogsbarking]

18. They smelled

donuts.

[PatSeg]

20. That is an awful lot of resources

used in a situation where there was no actual probable cause. Maybe that county has too many police officers with not enough real crime to investigate.

[PatrickforB]

21. Wow. It takes a special kind of dumb**s cop to pull over a bus containing a sports

team and then search the luggage.

Many of these young ladies were guilty of nothing but going to college and participating in an 'away' lacrosse game while being (gasp!) black.

These are the same people who want to take away abortion rights, gay marriage rights, any protections under the law for minority groups, birth control, and force their religious dogma down our collective throats and make this country a theocracy.

They need to be opposed EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. If we don't we will lose this republic, and the roundups will begin...an age of darkness.

[Auggie]

23. Clear case of racial harassment ... and these assholes will get away with it.

[The Jungle 1]

25. Drug dogs are a failed system of drug detection.

The numbers vary by source but it is fair to say drug dogs are wrong way to often to be used as a reason to search Americans.

So what do you think did the creepy cops pat down all the female lacrosse players.

&ab_channel=6abcPhiladelphia

[exboyfil]

35. Probable cause of four legs

Don't you know. Between that and using them to intimidate and make suspects react so they can get chewed in addition to being battered. I don't know how many videos I have seen with a person in obvious mental distress being threatened by a barking police dog. It is almost as if the cops want the person to do something so they can release the dog and their fists.

[sop]

46. Drug-sniffing dogs often react to the handler's commands, not to the presence of contraband.

The Washington Post reported that multiple studies demonstrate the use of drug-sniffing dogs results in high error rates. Dogs were correct only about 50 percent of the time; no more accurate than flipping a coin.

Dog training experts viewing police videos determined the high error rates were caused by police dogs trained to alert their handlers on cue, even when no drugs are present. Cops use them as a necessary pretext for conducting searches when probable cause doesn't exist.

[AZLD4Candidate]

76. That happened to me at LAX when I goose stepped through the DHS Checkpoint Charlie

They said their dog alerted them to something in my backpack.

When they found nothing, I asked what did the dog find. They said "the dog found something."

I asked "where it is then. Who was wrong, you or the dog?"

Their Trumper supervisor came out, cursed me out, barked at me to get to my plane, and yelled "don't you have somewhere to go" when I demanded to know what the dog found and for a public apology for wasting my time.

Dogs obey commands and these people have non-verbal commands for a dog to alert them, usually as a powerplay when you challenge them.

[sop]

89. Defense attorneys often question the training, certifications, search standards used, percentages

of accurate alerts and the overall performance of specific police K-9 teams, both in controlled settings and in the field. Not all police dogs are trained to sniff out drugs, some are only trained to detect explosives, find cadavers or chase down suspects.

Attorneys are also questioning the canine handler’s expertise. They want to know how many times, if ever, the officer has testified in court as an expert in canine handling, and how often the officer has worked with a particular dog. Simply claiming the dog made an alert at the scene, often as the result of a handler's cue, isn't enough to establish probable cause in court.

[jaxexpat]

26. This will not be pursued by justice.

The GOP has packed the courts around the country. What would be the point? Too late for Georgia justice, I'm afraid.

[Marthe48]

27. More and more blatant

I am ashamed that so many white people are assholes.

[IronLionZion]

33. Driving in the left lane is proof of trafficking?

or are young athletic black women trafficking themselves into college degrees?

I bet Georgia's dumbest were disappointed to find nothing.

[moonshinegnomie]

36. sue the county into oblivion

make it so painfully costly that the county goes broke. maybe if the citizens of the county wake up to facing enormous proerty tax bills due to a lawsuit the county will change its ways. Ideally teh officers in involved should have to pay damages out of their own pocket.

[exboyfil]

39. You haven't been paying attention

This is perfectly legal at least according to the SC and that was a more liberal SC. No telling what these six will come up with next.

Pretextual stop
Get the drug dog there before the stop times out
Drug dog amazingly smells narcotics (you can't ask the dog whether it was the treat he will be given later for a positive indication or a true indication)
Now they can rifle through your personal belongings without a warrant

Extra points for knowing there is no systemic racism and every bus that goes through that section of Georgia gets the same treatment or not. Right....

[stopdiggin]

105. yep. while this is a huge pain in the ass

in fact this has been legal for a long time. A pretextual reason for a stop (left lane driving) opens the way for other law enforcement measures. This has, and has had, the stamp of approval - since like, forever.

[Walleye]

37. A Georgia county sheriffs department. I guess I'm getting a persecution complex too

Because I wouldn’t be surprised if they targeted this bus because it was from Delaware, the home state of the president they have worked so hard to hate.

[Diablo del sol]

41. Great point. Didn't even think of that.

And it is very likely the root cause.

Sure people will find many let’s go Brandon posts from these MAGAts.

[halfulglas]

48. That was the FIRST thing I thought of.

[Hoyt]

56. Those rube policemen don't even know where Delaware is.

[Walleye]

57. That used to be true until this last year when the right wing made us into an enemy.

The interesting and infuriating thing to me is, the pure hatred people can have for someone or someplace they know nothing about

[Diablo del sol]

64. No defense

Can’t even say nice effort.

[sop]

70. They were looking for one of Hunter's laptops.

[Walleye]

88. 😆

[Seinan Sensei]

45. Wondering

1) Bus driving in left lane is a violation?
a) if in violation, was bus-driver cited?
b) I read that no citation was given
2) Could passengers have verbalized "do-not-consent" re: search?

[exboyfil]

72. If they didn't they should have

Wouldn't have made a difference because of the SC unless you can show racial profiling and even then probably not.

Important things when stopped:

1. Have your license, registration, and insurance card ready to go. No fumbling around that could get you shot.
2. Do not answer any questions but state that you are refusing to protect your rights (recent decision used failure to continue to answer questions to be presented to jury as evidence of guilt).
3. Get out of the car immediately if ordered. Do not give them a reason to put their hands on you. Clarify if it is a request or an order.
4. Remain still during a pat down search. Do your best not to react to this intrusive. Again giving them no reason to put forcefully put their hands on you.
5. Verbally state I do not consent to any searches of my person or my vehicle. If probable cause on four legs is avaliable, it won't make any difference but give it the college try.
6. Do not consent to any field sobriety tests unless except maybe a breathalyzer (still risky since the results can be used to establish probable cause but you may avoid getting towed if you haven't been drinking and later blow a 0.0 at the station).
7. Record everything if possible. All cameras running and a dashcam if you have it available. Put your phone in a front pocket if you go into cuffs but leave it running with the lens pointed outwards. Immediate upload to cloud is best. There are apps for that. Keep phone locked and never surrender it to police willingly.

[pfitz59]

47. Likely seeking excuse for "asset forfeiture"

Under screwed-up drug law the bus could've been seized if any drugs were found. Maybe the Sherrif's softball team needed new wheels.

[exboyfil]

83. Ding, ding, ding

We have a winner. That was the reason for the pretext. I guess Delaware State should feel fortunate that their bus wasn't seized. Vehicles without drugs in them have been seized in the past.

[Solly Mack]

51. K&R

[DenaliDemocrat]

52. Illegal detainment. You cannot randomly search a vehicle

This is bullshit and the taxpayers’ are going to foot the bill for the ensuing lawsuit. Those kids should have told the officers “I do not agree to this search” about 50 times.

[exboyfil]

69. On a pretextual stop with a positive indication by the probable cause on four legs

You very well can search a vehicle. See SC decision allowing pretextual stops. Rodriquez puts some limits on how long you can keep a vehicle detained (which three Justices disagreed with), but the pretextual/dog/search thing is still allowed.

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/13-9972_p8k0.pdf

Scalia and Ginsburg who joined in the decision to limit the time of the stop are now both gone probably replaced by justices more likely to go along with anything goes (until it impacts a rich white Republican I guess). Thomas, Kennedy, and Alito dissented.

For once Scalia actually joined a good decision. Probably one of the last published prior to his death.

[DenaliDemocrat]

79. There was no probable cause here. They would have to convince

A judge they had reasonable suspicion. This was a COLLEGE lacrosse team. Not a bus coming from Columbia.

[exboyfil]

81. No. Any vehicle indicated by a drug dog

has probable cause. It is not right but it is true. There are mountains of video of people getting their stuff pawed through because a probable cause on four legs indicated that drugs were present.

This is also how we get civil asset forfeiture. No drugs but this $80K you were going to use at a truck auction. Well we will just seize that and you have to sue to get it back.

The only potential issue can be demonstrating profiling, but I think these Georgia cops have been doing it to a lot of different vehicles so it might be hard to demonstrate. Asset forfeiture is probably what is driving it. It does for a lot of communities.

[DenaliDemocrat]

85. I train working dogs

I would recommend if anyone gets searched by a drug dog to video the handler. I would also inform them not to tap my car, direct the dog, and I would be specifically looking for the dog the check in with the handler and see if the handler cues.

Remember, the dog is offering a behavior to essentially get “paid” with their toy or food. The dog isn’t getting paid for finding drugs, they are getting paid for the signal. The trainers simply chained things together. Dogs will often skip a step because they aren’t stupid. Perfect example. Most people teach the down from a sit. Do it enough and the dog will start to skip the sit and go straight to down. They understand routine. Anyway, the dog WANTS to signal because the dog WANTS to get paid. A search with no reward is no bueno for the dog.

[exboyfil]

86. Great advice

That is why they are called probable cause on four legs.

It is unfortunate that our greatest non-human companions (sorry cat owners) are used to run a totalitarian fascist state, but it is a case.

My daughter does dog agility and wants to become an instructor someday.

[muriel_volestrangler]

102. The story implies the drug dogs turned up *after* they said they'd search for drugs

and told the driver to open the luggage compartment, so they did not have their "probable cause".

[exboyfil]

103. Then it is a violation

Hopefully someone said I don't consent to a search.

[Hoyt]

55. Gotta feeling those policemen are in trouble. Liberty County went 60+% for Biden, which means

it's not your typical South Georgia chithole. But, it's not a blue mecca like Savannah or Atlanta either.

Will be interested to see what the Liberty County Sheriff has to say--

[exboyfil]

63. He has already concluded his internal review

And the cops did everything by the book so probably not going to get very far with him.

I have no doubt it is racial profiling, but the whole pretextual stop and dog thing has got to end.

[Hoyt]

71. Not so sure that will be it. At least hope not. Definitely, the harrassment, dogs, etc., were wrong.

[gratuitous]

99. "The officers did everything by the book"

I hear that and I immediately think, "If this kind of gestapo tactic is 'by the book' maybe a new book needs to be written." I also think, "Isn't it nice that the cops can count on a 'book' to guide their actions (no matter how unlawful) and exonerate themselves, but ordinary citizens can't depend on the plain meaning of the Constitution, various laws and statutes, and regulation to guide their actions. A citizen can do everything "by the book" and still get stopped, harassed, arrested, maybe even shot, and too bad, so sad. The cop who does this to a citizen is off the hook thanks to the book!

[exboyfil]

100. Good summary

Until they start stopping Supreme Court justice limos and pull them out for a pat down and go through their stuff nothing will change.

[mainer]

58. Are there grounds for a lawsuit?

If so, I hope that sheriff's office gets slapped with one.

[Joinfortmill]

59. Sick of this shit.

[SheltieLover]

68. The Constitution has no meaning in shithole red states!

None. Zip.

[AZLD4Candidate]

80. The Constitution means nothing to law enforcement. They have been at war with Americans since

"Tough on Crime" Reagan.

They all view us as an enemy. "Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six" is pounded in their heads from the academy.

Not required university degrees can do that. . .as long has you can pass their physical tests, oral boards, can read and write, and a cursory background check, you can be a police officer here in Arizona at the age of 18.

[exboyfil]

82. The Supreme Court has blessed this

The only potential issue is if it was racial profiling. The stop, drug dog sniff, and search of belongings is all legal according to the SC.

[FelineOverlord]

91. Shocking that members of a HBCU will be harrassed by KKKemp's Gestapo

Just shocked, I tell you.

[obamanut2012]

94. The boss of the sheriff's who did this is black

It is a blue county.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

95. What year is this again?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

97. They just need more training, and definitely more funds so they get it right next time!1!!!11!!!!

[SYFROYH]

98. The Liberry County Sheriff just have a brief news conference

All he said was that the stop and search was being investigated, but that a drug K-9 did alert on the bus even before they boarded it. No questions from the press were answered.

I hate drug K9s.

[exboyfil]

104. Probable cause on four legs