Beware in Texas: You can be stopped for license plate frame

[akarunway 1]

"Now, YOU may not think that frames look cool, but I'm sure there's a MADD mother out there who thinks speeding isn't fun either."------------------------ And who defines what speed limits are? Some asshole politician. I think it's all about SAFE driving. I can drive at 100mph+ safely if it weren't for all the non driving assholes out there

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[ltdiver 3]

Although not a license plate holder, perhaps they wouldn't like this license either.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[Lucky... 0]

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I believe that this law took effect last year, and I have to say that it's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of.

I don't think it's dumb for a cop to be able to read what State a license plate is from, so they can trace it.

However, if it's used as an excuse to abuse people for other reasons, then that will need to be slapped down in court.

Simple solution: Remove the license plate frame, and remove the cop's excuse!

________________________________

Well said!


Chuck

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However, if it's used as an excuse to abuse people for other reasons, then that will need to be slapped down in court.

Oh really? All things are fixed in court, huh? It takes decades sometimes to fix things and many things go unfixed. Appellate courts are wayyyyyy over spoken. Then the right complkans about liberal appellate courts, the one that fix these issues.

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Simple solution: Remove the license plate frame, and remove the cop's excuse

This isn;t a case of license plate frame rights, it's a case of wrongful, unreasonable search.

_________________________________________

What's wrong with it? The officer would be well within his rights to make the stop according to the law if, he cannot 'plainly read the license plate. Some frames I've seen partially hide letters and numbers.
Also, who said anything about "all things are fixed in court"?
Also, with everyone bitchin' and squawkin' about 'petty' stops, I don't think too many cops are going to flagrantly misuse the law.
Is a license plate frame that damned important as to get a ticket for it? I don't know where you are from but, that's the way it is here in Texas!


Chuck

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The officer would be well within his rights to make the stop according to the law if, he cannot 'plainly read the license plate.

Don't bring legislation in as a defense. It was illegal in 16 states for people of different racs to marry up unil 1968. In many states open and notorious cohabitation is still against the law.

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Also, who said anything about "all things are fixed in court"?

W/o researchng it, you alluded to it.

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Also, with everyone bitchin' and squawkin' about 'petty' stops, I don't think too many cops are going to flagrantly misuse the law.

Hang on...... Bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahhaahahhahahahhaahha..... ok, I'm better now.

Uh, the exclusionary rule was designed to DISUADE POLICE MISCONDUCT. Meaning, if the dirty cop gets planted or illegallly seized evidence in and it's discovered, no conviction. If the dirty piece of garbage succeeds, congratulations, another innocent guy framed. Point is: the exclusionary rule was designed to DISUADE POLICE MISCONDUCT.

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Is a license plate frame that damned important as to get a ticket for it? I don't know where you are from but, that's the way it is here in Texas!

No, the facade is that we have rights to privacy, which means not being summarily stopped w/o cause. The illegal stop then leads to the discovery of evidence, which is what the issue is. If we gave cops carte blanche to kick in doors, we would have less crime, but we would have zero security and privacy. The issue is where we think is prudent to draw the line. Understand that there comes a point to where the cops, the ones supposedly stopping crime are the ones creating it, and I think we passed that in the 80's.

[kelpdiver 2]

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Just as people put license plates frames on because

1) they came with the car
2) they want to make a statement about something
3) they think they look cool.

well, at least you came up with some reasons. Lame ones. It appears you have no idea what we've been talking about.

a) no front license plate
b) obscured rears like http://www.ghostplates.com/ontrack.html

[Scoop 0]

Good thing in the UK we can stop any car we like with no other reason than to check its compliance with construction and use regulations and to check driver has neccesary paperwork. We don't even need to find a reason to pull someone over.

[masterrig 1]

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I believe that this law took effect last year, and I have to say that it's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of.

I don't think it's dumb for a cop to be able to read what State a license plate is from, so they can trace it.

However, if it's used as an excuse to abuse people for other reasons, then that will need to be slapped down in court.

Simple solution: Remove the license plate frame, and remove the cop's excuse!

________________________________

Well said!


Chuck

Quote

However, if it's used as an excuse to abuse people for other reasons, then that will need to be slapped down in court.

Oh really? All things are fixed in court, huh? It takes decades sometimes to fix things and many things go unfixed. Appellate courts are wayyyyyy over spoken. Then the right complkans about liberal appellate courts, the one that fix these issues.

Quote

Simple solution: Remove the license plate frame, and remove the cop's excuse

This isn;t a case of license plate frame rights, it's a case of wrongful, unreasonable search.

_________________________________________

What's wrong with it? The officer would be well within his rights to make the stop according to the law if, he cannot 'plainly read the license plate. Some frames I've seen partially hide letters and numbers.
Also, who said anything about "all things are fixed in court"?
Also, with everyone bitchin' and squawkin' about 'petty' stops, I don't think too many cops are going to flagrantly misuse the law.
Is a license plate frame that damned important as to get a ticket for it? I don't know where you are from but, that's the way it is here in Texas!


Chuck

Quote

The officer would be well within his rights to make the stop according to the law if, he cannot 'plainly read the license plate.

Don't bring legislation in as a defense. It was illegal in 16 states for people of different racs to marry up unil 1968. In many states open and notorious cohabitation is still against the law.

Quote

Also, who said anything about "all things are fixed in court"?

W/o researchng it, you alluded to it.

Quote

Also, with everyone bitchin' and squawkin' about 'petty' stops, I don't think too many cops are going to flagrantly misuse the law.

Hang on...... Bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahhaahahhahahahhaahha..... ok, I'm better now.

Uh, the exclusionary rule was designed to DISUADE POLICE MISCONDUCT. Meaning, if the dirty cop gets planted or illegallly seized evidence in and it's discovered, no conviction. If the dirty piece of garbage succeeds, congratulations, another innocent guy framed. Point is: the exclusionary rule was designed to DISUADE POLICE MISCONDUCT.

Quote

Is a license plate frame that damned important as to get a ticket for it? I don't know where you are from but, that's the way it is here in Texas!

No, the facade is that we have rights to privacy, which means not being summarily stopped w/o cause. The illegal stop then leads to the discovery of evidence, which is what the issue is. If we gave cops carte blanche to kick in doors, we would have less crime, but we would have zero security and privacy. The issue is where we think is prudent to draw the line. Understand that there comes a point to where the cops, the ones supposedly stopping crime are the ones creating it, and I think we passed that in the 80's.

___________________________________________

I think, you're making a mountain out of a mole-hill. What the hell co-habitation has to do with it is beyond me. It's a license plate frame. I've got bigger things to concern myself with. Besides, I've got nothing to hide and you have no idea how little I care about it.


Chuck

[Lucky... 0]

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Good thing in the UK we can stop any car we like with no other reason than to check its compliance with construction and use regulations and to check driver has neccesary paperwork. We don't even need to find a reason to pull someone over.

It's the same here, but we hide behind this guise of privacy and due process.

[AggieDave 6]

All the officers I know have obviously known about this law since it was signed into law, and had understood what it meant. With that said, I've yet to meet an officer that used it for a stop. That doesn't mean they're not out there, though.

People are worried about being harrassed by the police. Fine, I can understand that, BUT why focus on this one law? Your average driver (even the ones that think they're great drivers, never speed, etc) break a large number of traffic laws every single time they drive. If I was to talk about all the "little" laws that are similar in nature that are all PC stops, it would take me most of the morning.

People really should sit down and read the transportation code (if you're in TX). Don't read into it, as you read it, it is or it isn't and its written down in black and white. The grey comes in out side of the little book of law in the real world.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Lucky... 0]

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I believe that this law took effect last year, and I have to say that it's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of.

I don't think it's dumb for a cop to be able to read what State a license plate is from, so they can trace it.

However, if it's used as an excuse to abuse people for other reasons, then that will need to be slapped down in court.

Simple solution: Remove the license plate frame, and remove the cop's excuse!

________________________________

Well said!


Chuck

Quote

However, if it's used as an excuse to abuse people for other reasons, then that will need to be slapped down in court.

Oh really? All things are fixed in court, huh? It takes decades sometimes to fix things and many things go unfixed. Appellate courts are wayyyyyy over spoken. Then the right complkans about liberal appellate courts, the one that fix these issues.

Quote

Simple solution: Remove the license plate frame, and remove the cop's excuse

This isn;t a case of license plate frame rights, it's a case of wrongful, unreasonable search.

_________________________________________

What's wrong with it? The officer would be well within his rights to make the stop according to the law if, he cannot 'plainly read the license plate. Some frames I've seen partially hide letters and numbers.
Also, who said anything about "all things are fixed in court"?
Also, with everyone bitchin' and squawkin' about 'petty' stops, I don't think too many cops are going to flagrantly misuse the law.
Is a license plate frame that damned important as to get a ticket for it? I don't know where you are from but, that's the way it is here in Texas!


Chuck

Quote

The officer would be well within his rights to make the stop according to the law if, he cannot 'plainly read the license plate.

Don't bring legislation in as a defense. It was illegal in 16 states for people of different racs to marry up unil 1968. In many states open and notorious cohabitation is still against the law.

Quote

Also, who said anything about "all things are fixed in court"?

W/o researchng it, you alluded to it.

Quote

Also, with everyone bitchin' and squawkin' about 'petty' stops, I don't think too many cops are going to flagrantly misuse the law.

Hang on...... Bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahhaahahhahahahhaahha..... ok, I'm better now.

Uh, the exclusionary rule was designed to DISUADE POLICE MISCONDUCT. Meaning, if the dirty cop gets planted or illegallly seized evidence in and it's discovered, no conviction. If the dirty piece of garbage succeeds, congratulations, another innocent guy framed. Point is: the exclusionary rule was designed to DISUADE POLICE MISCONDUCT.

Quote

Is a license plate frame that damned important as to get a ticket for it? I don't know where you are from but, that's the way it is here in Texas!

No, the facade is that we have rights to privacy, which means not being summarily stopped w/o cause. The illegal stop then leads to the discovery of evidence, which is what the issue is. If we gave cops carte blanche to kick in doors, we would have less crime, but we would have zero security and privacy. The issue is where we think is prudent to draw the line. Understand that there comes a point to where the cops, the ones supposedly stopping crime are the ones creating it, and I think we passed that in the 80's.

___________________________________________

I think, you're making a mountain out of a mole-hill. What the hell co-habitation has to do with it is beyond me. It's a license plate frame. I've got bigger things to concern myself with. Besides, I've got nothing to hide and you have no idea how little I care about it.


Chuck

You brought up:

The officer would be well within his rights to make the stop according to the law if, he cannot 'plainly read the license plate.

Then I wrote:

Don't bring legislation in as a defense. It was illegal in 16 states for people of different racs to marry up unil 1968. In many states open and notorious cohabitation is still against the law.

Now you wonder:

What the hell co-habitation has to do with it is beyond me.

You brought in the cop being within his rights, as being in compliance with legislation or rule. Legislation is arbitrarily enforced and to make a claim of the cop being within his rights minimizes tons of paper that discusses that issue. The words, “reasonable” or, “unreasonable” are more apropos in this this case. Is it reasonable for a cop to pull over a vehicle simply because the vehicle has part of the word, “Texas” concealed? I don’t think that would make a person suspicious that the plate has been altered or manufactured.

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Besides, I've got nothing to hide and you have no idea how little I care about it.

Then you have no objection that the fine, fine officer wants to go thru your wife’s panty drawer, thru your garage, thru your personal papers….. After all, you have nothing to hide.

[Lucky... 0]

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All the officers I know have obviously known about this law since it was signed into law, and had understood what it meant. With that said, I've yet to meet an officer that used it for a stop. That doesn't mean they're not out there, though.

People are worried about being harrassed by the police. Fine, I can understand that, BUT why focus on this one law? Your average driver (even the ones that think they're great drivers, never speed, etc) break a large number of traffic laws every single time they drive. If I was to talk about all the "little" laws that are similar in nature that are all PC stops, it would take me most of the morning.

People really should sit down and read the transportation code (if you're in TX). Don't read into it, as you read it, it is or it isn't and its written down in black and white. The grey comes in out side of the little book of law in the real world.

Quote

All the officers I know have obviously known about this law since it was signed into law, and had understood what it meant. With that said, I've yet to meet an officer that used it for a stop. That doesn't mean they're not out there, though.

With that said, you're right; cops will just lie and say the car swerved r didn't signal 100 feet before a turn. PC is a joke, but these laws are symbolic, which is why people fight them. Let this slide and then PC could be a broken antenna, or a missing hubcap. After all, you have nothing to hide, right?

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People are worried about being harrassed by the police. Fine, I can understand that, BUT why focus on this one law?

See above.... slippery slope.

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Your average driver (even the ones that think they're great drivers, never speed, etc) break a large number of traffic laws every single time they drive.

For one, this can be implemented while the vehicle is at rest, so the fine, fine officer doesn't even have to fabricate a lie, not the he has a problem with it.

As an observation, it's quite clear that the conservatives enjoy these violative, intrusive laws, whereas the liberals despise these laws..... see a pattern?

[AggieDave 6]

That swooshing sound you heard...that was the post flying quickly over your head. Nothing against you, just that you completely missed the point of my post.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[masterrig 1]

Then you have no objection that the fine, fine officer wants to go thru your wife’s panty drawer, thru your garage, thru your personal papers….. After all, you have nothing to hide.

[Lucky... 0]

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That swooshing sound you heard...that was the post flying quickly over your head. Nothing against you, just that you completely missed the point of my post.

Nothing against you either, but that silence you hear is the apathy going on with you. Why not spell out what you menat and where I didn't supposedly get it?

[Lucky... 0]

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Then you have no objection that the fine, fine officer wants to go thru your wife’s panty drawer, thru your garage, thru your personal papers….. After all, you have nothing to hide.

__________________________________________

I have no problem with that! This type of thing, happens in my house, quite often! Oh, did I mention... my wife is a certified peace officer?


Chuck

[masterrig 1]

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Then you have no objection that the fine, fine officer wants to go thru your wife’s panty drawer, thru your garage, thru your personal papers….. After all, you have nothing to hide.

__________________________________________

I have no problem with that! This type of thing, happens in my house, quite often! Oh, did I mention... my wife is a certified peace officer?


Chuck

You're a living 4th violation!!! Is she actually a working cop, or ????

Anyway, you get the point; freedom from unwarranted searches is SUPPOSED to be the cornerstone to our so-called freedoms.

[Lucky... 0]

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Then you have no objection that the fine, fine officer wants to go thru your wife’s panty drawer, thru your garage, thru your personal papers….. After all, you have nothing to hide.

__________________________________________

I have no problem with that! This type of thing, happens in my house, quite often! Oh, did I mention... my wife is a certified peace officer?


Chuck

You're a living 4th violation!!! Is she actually a working cop, or ????

Anyway, you get the point; freedom from unwarranted searches is SUPPOSED to be the cornerstone to our so-called freedoms.

______________________________________

Yes, she is a working cop! 3-yrs. Highway Patrol officer, Texas Department of Public Safety, 17-yrs. Sgt. Detective on our Sheriff's dept. Presently, Felonies Investigator District Attorney's Office! Is that 'working cop' enough for you?
Besides, who are you? You have nothing in your profile to give anyone a clue. I don't care to respond to you any further and that's my last word on the matter.


Chuck

[mnealtx 0]

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So your attitude that the 4th should be killed even further is typical of people in or near law enforcement, as they tend to get special tretament.

Where did he say that? You're the one that equated getting stopped for an obscured plate with "the nice cop pawing through your underwear drawer".

Tone down the hyperbole a bit and say what you mean to say.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[masterrig 1]

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So your attitude that the 4th should be killed even further is typical of people in or near law enforcement, as they tend to get special tretament.

Where did he say that? You're the one that equated getting stopped for an obscured plate with "the nice cop pawing through your underwear drawer".

Tone down the hyperbole a bit and say what you mean to say.

__________________________________________

I think, it's trolling, at it's worst! Ya' think?


Chuck

[mnealtx 0]

Nah, I don't think he's trolling, per se - he *has* brought up some good arguments...but the overblown emotion is getting in the way of the message.

Point in fact - under the current laws, if I understand them correctly, the police can do a visual search of the driver's vicinity on ANY traffic stop. (Dave, is this correct?)

If that is, in fact, the case...then the law that needs to be fought is the law allowing that search. The 'obscured plate' law has been on the books for at least 20 years - I recall getting pulled over for it when I was around 20.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[masterrig 1]

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Nah, I don't think he's trolling, per se - he *has* brought up some good arguments...but the overblown emotion is getting in the way of the message.

Point in fact - under the current laws, if I understand them correctly, the police can do a visual search of the driver's vicinity on ANY traffic stop. (Dave, is this correct?)

If that is, in fact, the case...then the law that needs to be fought is the law allowing that search. The 'obscured plate' law has been on the books for at least 20 years - I recall getting pulled over for it when I was around 20.

______________________________________

I don't know. I guess, I'm just not 'up to it' today.
Seemed to me, words were getting twisted around and... just ain't worth it.


Chuck

[mnealtx 0]

Oh, I understand completely....trust me. Sometimes you just have to sit back and take a couple of deep breaths...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[masterrig 1]

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Oh, I understand completely....trust me. Sometimes you just have to sit back and take a couple of deep breaths...

________________________________________

That's the damned truth! I usually, try to 'contain' myself. Sometimes, things just strike me the wrong way.
Take care of yourself and I appreciate it!


Chuck

[mnealtx 0]

No problem!

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[billvon 3,132]

>It appears you have no idea what we've been talking about.

>a) no front license plate
>b) obscured rears like http://www.ghostplates.com/ontrack.html

I have license plate frames that would violate the Texas law on both my cars (I just checked.) They are the dealer plate frames that partially cover the word "California." A neighbor down the street has plastic covers on his plates that actually obscure far less than my frames do. The one in front is pretty clear, but the back one is yellowed from the sun. (He's the sort who puts vinyl covers on his furniture, too.) They look a lot like the plates on that website, but are more yellowed (more hazy) while more visible from the sides.

I Would be fascinated to hear what crime he's planning to commit.

[Andy9o8 3]

When I lived in a different state, people in my city started buying frames to put on their plates because thieves would steal the yearly registration stickers (which were on the lower corner of the plate) by using heavy-duty scissors to quickly cut off the corner of the plate. You'd see these cars driving around with the corners cut off their plates. Can't do that easily when there's a frame on the plate. People put frames on their plates to avoid being the victims of crimes. But in Texas, it makes you a lawbreaker.
Life's funny that way.