Supreme Court Gives Police a New Entryway Into Homes

[Marenco]

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday gave police more leeway to break into residences in search of illegal drugs.

The justices in an 8-1 decision said officers who loudly knock on a door and then hear sounds suggesting evidence is being destroyed may break down the door and enter without a search warrant.

Residents who "attempt to destroy evidence have only themselves to blame" when police burst in, said Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.

In a lone dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said she feared the ruling in a Kentucky case will give police an easy way to ignore the 4th Amendment. "Police officers may not knock, listen and then break the door down," she said, without violating the 4th Amendment.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/sc-dc-0517-court-search-20110516,0,3341161.story

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

Our imperial Court is getting more totalitarian by the day. The Federal Government funding the militarization of domestic police as a de-facto occupying army force compliant to State-edict...King Executive ordering assassinations and executions without trial. The War on Us (aka Drugs) is a very important topic and issue and to those who would like to see Ron Paul not even broach the subject for 'pragmatic' reasons, you are either unwittingly, or wittingly, helping to further wither of our liberties.

[aGameOfThrones]

Posted: http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?293383-SCOTUS-Hates-on-the-Fourth-Some-More

[TheNcredibleEgg]

In an unrelated news story:



New Hearing Test for Police Recruits

A hearing test was administered to all new police recruits - effective immediately. Various sounds are played with recruits standing behind one inch thick wood blocks. The police officer must correctly name all sounds before graduation and receiving their badge. We were allow to listen in to one recruit's session:

First sound: A tv playing in background.

Recruit: I'm not sure - but it sounds to me like a toilet flushing.

Second sound: Some footsteps approaching calmly.

Recuit: Hmmm - sounds like a toilet flushing again.

Third sound: A peephole being flicked open.

Recruit: Toilet.

Fourth sound: A deadbolt being unlocked.

Recruit: Toilet again.

Fifth sound: Someone clearly asking "who's there?"

Recruit: Oh - easy one. Toilet flushing.

Administrator: Congrats - perfect score! Here's your badge and gun. Now go serve and protect.

[Napoleon's Shadow]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dnam3SR_POQ

[furface]

It's interesting the progression of degradation of rights. They start with an example that no one would argue with and then use the principle to implement it in outrageous cases. The principle of no search warrants when imminent destruction of evidence is suspected seems to have originated in a case of fire investigators walking around in smoldering embers here:

http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=6234529070422029398&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr

It was also applied in a case involving potential for serious injury here.

http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=6234529070422029398&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr

The principle is then stretched to an insanely broad extreme in this case where vague "noises consistent with the destruction of evidence" are given legal jurisdiction. What's a noise consistent with the destruction of evidence? Should I expect a police officer in my house if someone hears me clicking on my keyboard? I could possibly be clearing my cache which could be destroying subversive information. The IT repercussion to this are really scary.

http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-1272.pdf

These things start with reasonable cases and end up as just another tool for the police state. We need to fiercely work to protect the rights of drug dealers, pornography producers, anti-State activists, and other usual suspects even including lowlifes like Arabs and Muslims. If we don't, we're all next. There's no denying it.

In fact it's already here. Ron Paul's point about thinking about freedom of religion and speech in relation to lack of freedom to do what we want with our bodies is very deep and profound.