[Vox] Know your rights!

[Vendetta]

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Know your rights!​

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This government's system of laws exists to maintain the dominance of those in power, and the police are its armed enforcers. If you doubt this for a minute, look at who are the selective targets of local laws: The homeless, the young, the poor, dissenters. Globally, look at who dies and who gets rich from our wars and other disasters.​

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For 250 years in this country, the government and their enforcers have consistently fought against people working for liberation: Indigenous resistance, land reformers, slave revolts, abolitionists, labor organizers & workers, free-speech advocates, women's and civil rights workers, anti-war and anti-globalization protesters, and recently, animal rights and environmental activists.

Your relationship with the police is at heart adversarial. While there may be cops with hearts of gold, the job of all police is to arrest and prosecute you. As such, it is almost never in your best interest to cooperate with the police.

Keeping yourself safe and resisting the police state comes down to these simple principles:

1) Non-cooperation: If you talk with the police, you could unintentionally hurt yourself, your friends, or others.

2) Do not consent to searches: Never give law enforcement the okay to examine your pockets, car, backpack, or home.

3) Remain silent: Say nothing except "I'm going to remain silent, and I would like to see a lawyer."

4) Talk to a lawyer: Never take advice from the police, they may try to trick and mislead you.

5) Use trust and intuition: Work only with people with whom you have a history of trust. Without being paranoid, trust your intuition.

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Rights During a Police Encounter

In a police encounter these rules will help protect your civil rights and improve your chances of driving or walking away safely. From here on out, we are talking about your legal "rights" guaranteed by law. Though in our view, what you can do and what you can do legally are two different things. All of these rights also apply to minors and non-citizens.

Keep Private Items Out of View

This is common sense: Always keep any private items that you don't want others to see out of sight. Legally speaking, police do not need a search warrant in order to confiscate any illegal items that are in plain view.

Stay Cool & Politely Assertive

Police are well armed and often unpredictable, so remaining cool and calm will keep you safe. Treat them with the caution you would treat a dangerous, wild animal.

Be polite and yet assertive to ensure that your rights aren't trampled on. Some officers may come on heavy if you are not absolutely submissive, but standing up for your rights will keep you safe in the long run, in court when it really matters.

Determine If You Can Leave

You don't have to talk to the police. As soon as an officer approaches you, ask the officer, "Am I free to go?" If you get an answer other than a definitive "No," gather your stuff and leave without another word.

You have the right to end an encounter with a police officer unless you are being detained or arrested. Don't waste time trying to determine your status. Test if you are free to go, and then go. If you aren't free to go, the officer will make it perfectly clear.

Use the Magic Words

If you are detained or arrested, use the magic words:

"I'm going to remain silent. I would like to see a lawyer."

Do not talk to police. Wait to talk to a lawyer representing you. Even casual small talk can come back to haunt you. Anything you say can, and will, be used against you.

Cops have numerous tricks to get you to talk. They can and do use fear, solitude, isolation, lies, advice, playing you against others, and even kindness to get you to cooperate. Don't be fooled. If you need to say anything, repeat the magic words.

Keep in mind the credo: If no one talks, everyone walks. Regardless of what you are told by an investigating officer, you have nothing to gain by talking to the police and everything to lose.

Refuse to Consent to Searches

Officers seeking evidence will often try to get you to allow them to search your belongings, your car, or your home. Refuse to consent to a search, with the phrase:

"I do not consent to a search."

Usually, a search request will come in the form of an ambiguous statement, such as, "I'm going to ask you to empty your pockets." Answer such requests unambiguously. Repeat as many times as necessary.

You are under no obligation to allow a search. The only reason an officer asks your permission is because he doesn't have enough evidence to search without your consent.

Police officers are not required to inform you of your rights before asking you to consent to a search. If the officer searches you in spite of your objection, do not resist. Your attorney can argue that any evidence found during the search was discovered through an illegal search and should be thrown out of court.

Do Not Try to Bargain

Police officers will often tell you that your cooperation will make things easier for you, and many people hope to be let off easy if they are honest and direct with the police. The only thing it makes easier is the officer's job. Do not let the threat of arrest scare you into admitting guilt. Better to spend a night in jail, than years in prison. Ask to speak with a lawyer, and remain silent.

Do not fear the oppression, learn your rights, don't fall prey to the system. 

 

[TinyBigJacko]

Very nice. But somewhat futile, of course.

For example... remaining silent is your right, but adverse inferences can be drawn from your silence, if you are withholding information that you later rely on for your defence. By the roadside, your failure to honestly and openly respond to officers' questions will most likely be taken as an act of guilt, and you may find that your treatment escalates much more quickly to imprisonment or fine, if you don't talk.

Cops in Altis have discretionary powers to apply the laws of Altis. They are effectively Judges or Juries. There are no courts. This is the Law of Altis, which although based on British Law, is not identical. Your best opportunity for appeal is at the roadside, during the encounter. You can appeal from within jail, or after you've been fined, by application to the Chief Constable, Chief Superintendent, or Superintendent, but these will (by nature) always be 'after the fact'. You may be compensated if it turns out the arresting officer was not in compliance with the Law. If your story is different, or doesn't tally with that given by the officer, however (and especially if you played the 'remain silent' card) you may find that your appeal fails.

Refusing to agree to a search is usually an indication that you're concealing something. Whilst a good officer will usually ask out of politeness - even if they have reasonable grounds for a search - sometimes they will specifically ask for your agreement in order to see how you respond. The more non-compliant you are, the more likely they are to be able to increase the charges by adding obstruction or resisting arrest to your charge-sheet. Conversely, if you have nothing to hide, say so, and be searched quickly and painlessly (or sometimes not at all), because the officer has better things to do than grief innocent citizens.

Citizens need to be aware that some anti-police groups are merely a cover for organised crime. They will preach to you that you have rights and freedoms which - in Law - you actually do not have. You are all subjects of the Crown, not true 'citizens' in the republican sense of the word, though the Police are just as aware of this distinction (and subject to it) as you are. Police exist not to suppress freedoms, but to ensure the little freedoms you have, are maintained - without fear of random death due to gang-wars, drug crime, thievery, extortion, and the like.

Beware of groups attempting to misguide you. Do not be tricked into delivering parcels or carrying propaganda for these kinds of groups - you may inadvertently be participating in organised drug-trafficking, or acting as a decoy for such activities. You will be charged on the basis that ignorance of the law is no defence, and does not make you innocent; just ignorant.

Look again at the richest members of society... you will find that in Altis, they are the organised criminals. The little guys, the ordinary Joes who struggle with their peach farms or fishing boats, are hard-pressed to maintain their existence and run their little cars. The ones who swank about with big trucks, machine guns and super-expensive helicopters are most often NOT the ones fishing. They're the ones selling drugs to your cousin; the ones stealing cash in the street from your mum; the ones robbing Her Majesty's Treasury and making us all poorer by degree.

Practice self-reliance by all means... but when the biological waste matter hits the air-cooling device, it's always the cops you call, isn't it?

 

[Vendetta]

I'm well aware that practising your rights can't always be relied on, especailly on a server that isn't using the court system and cops are the judges, as you stated. However I'm just attempting to add depth to the role-play and trying to stir up some fuss, stay tuned, because I plan on taking to the streets with peaceful protests. Prepare your flags, banners and camera phones. (For your safety)

And as for your statement regarding groups that claim to be anything other than criminals, Vox Populi will ensure these groups are discovered and shown for what they truly are, for the sake of the people of Altis.

 

[TinyBigJacko]

Server? Role-play? WTF are these strange concepts?

Don't break character... you were doing so well there!

The Fourth Wall

 

[Vendetta]

Server? Role-play? WTF are these strange concepts?

Don't break character... you were doing so well there!

The Fourth Wall

This is why we need an In-Character section on the forums, so people understand what's actually going on. Please take it into consideration. I wasn't 100% sure you were role-playing or in-character.

 

[TeddyBear]

^ Brilliant idea we need a place to actually express our IRL concerns and IG concerns etc. 

 

[AC Higgins]

Quoting the great philosopher Barney Stintson

"Challenge accepted"

PCSO Higgins