Sewo arrested, controlled substance

[satis1103]

Will someone for the love of God talk to a state rep about removing that damned 2 × license plate light statute? LP not visible citation already covers the reason for having such a requirement

 

[SuperBarrFrog]

For all y’all who are thinking police don’t often act in a chickenshit manner on traffic stops, or make iffy stops as a pretext here you go. No one will ever convince me this stop was not a case of driving while black. And I don’t give a flying darn what race the officer is. LP light out? Smell of mj? Friggin classic. Sewo was stopped at 8:54 pm. Sunset on May 14 was at 8:21 pm. It takes about 70-80 minutes after sunset for true darkness.

“Olonilua had been pulled over on a traffic stop for a defective/non-working license plate light on his 2010 Toyota Camry at 8:54 p.m. on May 14, when the officer “immediately detected strong odor of marijuana,” according to the report.”

Read more here: https://www.star-telegram.com/sport...niversity/article230902419.html#storylink=cpy

Especially since edibles and vape pens don’t have any smell of MJ. I doubt the resin in his grinder was enough stink up a car.

 

[Shorty]

Especially since edibles and vape pens don’t have any smell of MJ. I doubt the resin in his grinder was enough stink up a car.

Could have smoked already and smelled like weed but I agree with Purpoole.

Sewo in court ordered rehab (language warning):

 

[Prince of Purpoole]

Not disputing the point you are making but a couple of things: "Pretext stops" are a 100% legit law enforcement tool. As long as the underlying basis for the stop was a valid offense, the police can stop you for a class C with the intent to look for something bigger.
Secondly, he would have been required to have lights on based on your time statement. Law requires lights 30 minutes past sunset and up to 30 minutes before sunrise.
I know pretext stops are unpopular, but they are legit as long as the officer isn't profiling. And honestly, if Sewo's headlights were on, I doubt the officer had any idea who was driving when he/she initiated the stop. I'm assuming it was DPS, on I-45, so it's most likely that the trooper was sitting northbound on the shoulder and would have been looking at headlights in his side view mirror (thus unable to see the driver). I guess it's possible he was driving slow going northbound and Sewo passed him, but even then, you are talking about some pretty low-light conditions.

I’ve read the cases. I know about the legality of pretext stops. Check Sewo’s hair do if you have a question about whether someone could make an informed guess about his race from his silhouette. Once the officer was at the window he damn sure knew he had a young African American male driver. When you couple LP light out with the ever popular and unverifiable “smell of mj” as pc for the search...well all I can say is have reviewed tens of thousands of criminal cases from both sides and these are the kind that stink.

 

[PO Frog]

Driving While Black in Huntsville seems like a questionable accusation to make considering the demographic of Huntsville. They would be pulling over every vehicle if that’s what they focused on. He wasn’t pulled over in Idaho.

 

[YA]

Will someone for the love of God talk to a state rep about removing that damned 2 × license plate light statute? LP not visible citation already covers the reason for having such a requirement

100% agreement. Waste of tax dollars to have a front license plate and most states don't have the requirement for 2 plates.

 

[Eight]

Driving While Black in Huntsville seems like a questionable accusation to make considering the demographic of Huntsville. They would be pulling over every vehicle if that’s what they focused on. He wasn’t pulled over in Idaho.

you want to bet the majority of huntsville is white, the enrollment at sam houston state is white, and that walker county is white?

 

[YA]

Driving While Black in Huntsville seems like a questionable accusation to make considering the demographic of Huntsville. They would be pulling over every vehicle if that’s what they focused on. He wasn’t pulled over in Idaho.

The racial makeup of the city was 65.78% White, 26.14% African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 4.91% from Race (United States Census) other races, and 1.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.22% of the population.

 

[Prince of Purpoole]

The racial makeup of the city was 65.78% White, 26.14% African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 4.91% from Race (United States Census) other races, and 1.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.22% of the population.

And Walker County? 72% White

 

[Billy Clyde]

I’ve read the cases. I know about the legality of pretext stops. Check Sewo’s hair do if you have a question about whether someone could make an informed guess about his race from his silhouette. Once the officer was at the window he damn sure knew he had a young African American male driver. When you couple LP light out with the ever popular and unverifiable “smell of mj” as pc for the search...well all I can say is have reviewed tens of thousands of criminal cases from both sides and these are the kind that stink.

I'm not coming at this from a made-up mind. It sounds like you are. IF it's DPS on the interstate, and I'm pretty sure it is, they are out there to do traffic AND drug enforcement. They are ALWAYS look for, "other things." What I hear you saying is, if Sewo had been white, he wouldn't have been stopped for no LP light. Is that what you mean? I feel less omniscient than that, and my experience has made me less certain, not more certain that I "know" when an officer whom I've never met has ill-intent.
If you're saying that he only decided to search because Sewo is black, well, again, you are making some awful assumptions about someone you presumably never met. You think if a kid has that much weed on him, and in a variety of forms, that there's no chance his car smells like weed? As in, you've never gotten in a car that smelled like weed because it just does? Yeah, OK.

 

[PO Frog]

The racial makeup of the city was 65.78% White, 26.14% African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 4.91% from Race (United States Census) other races, and 1.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.22% of the population.

Are you refuting my point or amplifying it?

 

[Froggish]

I'm not coming at this from a made-up mind. It sounds like you are. IF it's DPS on the interstate, and I'm pretty sure it is, they are out there to do traffic AND drug enforcement. They are ALWAYS look for, "other things." What I hear you saying is, if Sewo had been white, he wouldn't have been stopped for no LP light. Is that what you mean? I feel less omniscient than that, and my experience has made me less certain, not more certain that I "know" when an officer whom I've never met has ill-intent.
If you're saying that he only decided to search because Sewo is black, well, again, you are making some awful assumptions about someone you presumably never met. You think if a kid has that much weed on him, and in a variety of forms, that there's no chance his car smells like weed? As in, you've never gotten in a car that smelled like weed because it just does? Yeah, OK.

I would love to hear how anyone in this forum can explain how having a license plate light out is justification alone for stopping a car that is other wise following the law...The bottom line is the light out law is currently, and has always been, used as justification for stopping someone...In the history of automobiles, no police officer ever thought, “as a courtesy, I think I’ll pull that car over and give them a heads up on the poor illumination of their license plate!”. In addition, law enforcement has not often stumped for more “time wasting laws” that eat in to real productivity. They know why the law is useful and it isn’t because they need probable cause to carry out their jobs...Much of policing is done based on instinct and judgement which meens it’s as susceptible to human error and distortion as anything else. The fact that we pretend it isn’t because it’s a noble career is completely dumb.

Cops aren’t bad guys but they aren’t perfect either..This particular law is in place for really only one reason..probable cause...

 

[netty2424]

Bottom line is he made the decision to run the gauntlet. You either make it, or you don’t. He got caught.

Damn shame a man can’t drive around with a friggin plant in their car without another man telling you it’s ok.

Hopefully his family is able to afford a good law firm who is owed a few by whatever court will over see this, and can get this thing dismissed or reduced.

 

[HG73]

i've smoked my share of pot when I was younger, but I would never argue that it doesn't lead to potentially dangerous situations. I think it was two summers ago in Phoenix, two babies died within weeks of each other, one while the father got stoned at his buddies house and left the baby in the hot car and the other when the mother "forgot" about the baby in the car seat on the roof of the car after getting stoned and drove off.

I guess you could argue that they were just dumbasses.

Imagine what they would have done if they were drunk.

 

[HG73]

For all y’all who are thinking police don’t often act in a chickenshit manner on traffic stops, or make iffy stops as a pretext here you go. No one will ever convince me this stop was not a case of driving while black. And I don’t give a flying darn what race the officer is. LP light out? Smell of mj? Friggin classic. Sewo was stopped at 8:54 pm. Sunset on May 14 was at 8:21 pm. It takes about 70-80 minutes after sunset for true darkness.

“Olonilua had been pulled over on a traffic stop for a defective/non-working license plate light on his 2010 Toyota Camry at 8:54 p.m. on May 14, when the officer “immediately detected strong odor of marijuana,” according to the report.”

Read more here: https://www.star-telegram.com/sport...niversity/article230902419.html#storylink=cpy

The license plate light is THE most often used excuse to pull you over. A retired state trooper told us that when we were serving on a grand jury.

Yes I'm the guy who is always pro weed.

 

[PO Frog]

I would love to hear how anyone in this forum can explain how having a license plate light out is justification alone for stopping a car that is other wise following the law...The bottom line is the light out law is currently, and has always been, used as justification for stopping someone...In the history of automobiles, no police officer ever thought, “as a courtesy, I think I’ll pull that car over and give them a heads up on the poor illumination of their license plate!”. In addition, law enforcement has not often stumped for more “time wasting laws” that eat in to real productivity. They know why the law is useful and it isn’t because they need probable cause to carry out their jobs...Much of policing is done based on instinct and judgement which meens it’s as susceptible to human error and distortion as anything else. The fact that we pretend it isn’t because it’s a noble career is completely dumb.

Cops aren’t bad guys but they aren’t perfect either..This particular law is in place for really only one reason..probable cause...

Not going to get into the pretext debate, but are you trying to say that a law that requires a license plate to be visible is useless? I would think a license plate that has been obscured is red flag number one if I’m out looking for a bad guy.

 

[Billy Clyde]

I would love to hear how anyone in this forum can explain how having a license plate light out is justification alone for stopping a car that is other wise following the law...The bottom line is the light out law is currently, and has always been, used as justification for stopping someone...In the history of automobiles, no police officer ever thought, “as a courtesy, I think I’ll pull that car over and give them a heads up on the poor illumination of their license plate!”. In addition, law enforcement has not often stumped for more “time wasting laws” that eat in to real productivity. They know why the law is useful and it isn’t because they need probable cause to carry out their jobs...Much of policing is done based on instinct and judgement which meens it’s as susceptible to human error and distortion as anything else. The fact that we pretend it isn’t because it’s a noble career is completely dumb.

Cops aren’t bad guys but they aren’t perfect either..This particular law is in place for really only one reason..probable cause...

From the sound of your post I'm not really sure you want an honest discussion but I'll give it a go anyway:

1. Any crime, from the least harmful to the most extreme and violent, is much, much more likely to be stopped and the perpetrator apprehended if it's associated with a License Plate number. If you aren't required to have a light illuminating the license plate at night, do you think that MIGHT make it just a wee bit easier for criminals to evade detection?

2. As I alluded to earlier, police LEGITIMATELY use minor traffic violations every day to interdict more serious crime. License plate light not working is 100% no big deal if you aren't otherwise committing more serious crimes. In fact if you get it fixed it will be dismissed with a small fee. If you ARE committing more serious crimes, well then you gambled and lost. Is that really the police's fault? We all know the rules, and we all probably daily make conscious decisions to overlook certain ones. The only person responsible for the consequences is the person committing the offense.

I hope Sewo can resolve this in his favor because he has shown a lot of promise and I hope he can fulfill it and have a great life. He seems a likeable kid. But to become exorcised and indignant because HE did something really stupid and you don't like the way he got caught, is just pointless.

 

[Froggish]

Not going to get into the pretext debate, but are you trying to say that a law that requires a license plate to be visible is useless? I would think a license plate that has been obscured is red flag number one if I’m out looking for a bad guy.

It’s a law that has value but it isn’t necessary..Police have other ways of illuminating plates that they really want to run them. Spotlighting is one of several. Your response actually proves my point which is some police operate from a premise which says a light didn’t just go out on its own..Clearly a bad guy purposely obscured it. Again I don’t believe cops are bad guys...my brother in law is one..He is also the first tell you that much of the job is instinctual and assumptive no matter how hard you try to be different.

 

[AroundWorldFrog]

Imagine what they would have done if they were drunk.

Not sure. It happened while they were smoking....

 

[Froggish]

From the sound of your post I'm not really sure you want an honest discussion but I'll give it a go anyway:

1. Any crime, from the least harmful to the most extreme and violent, is much, much more likely to be stopped and the perpetrator apprehended if it's associated with a License Plate number. If you aren't required to have a light illuminating the license plate at night, do you think that MIGHT make it just a wee bit easier for criminals to evade detection?

2. As I alluded to earlier, police LEGITIMATELY use minor traffic violations every day to interdict more serious crime. License plate light not working is 100% no big deal if you aren't otherwise committing more serious crimes. In fact if you get it fixed it will be dismissed with a small fee. If you ARE committing more serious crimes, well then you gambled and lost. Is that really the police's fault? We all know the rules, and we all probably daily make conscious decisions to overlook certain ones. The only person responsible for the consequences is the person committing the offense.

I hope Sewo can resolve this in his favor because he has shown a lot of promise and I hope he can fulfill it and have a great life. He seems a likeable kid. But to become exorcised and indignant because HE did something really stupid and you don't like the way he got caught, is just pointless.

What Sewo did was stupid...but not because he may like to partake but because he chose to break the law.

I suppose your ok with policing with the assumption of guilt as that was clear in your second point. Regardless if your a conservative or a liberal, the “everyone COULD be a bad guy” position is a danger to all human rights regardless of race, sex, or social status.

I don’t think we’ll get any where debating that on a forum so my apologies for bringing it up. I think we can both agree that we want the situation to work out for Sewo.