Whats with an LEO asking how much cash you are carrying during a traffic stop?

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Wow...I was surprised by many of your answers....let me ask this then. When stopped by the police what questions DO you have to answer, and what should you say to questions you do NOT have to answer. What is the best thing to say in order to not answer any more questions??? I am assuming the lawyer comments work.

That one comment about the cops planting drugs, etc in your car is pretty damn scary, although I would like to think it doesnt happen...or at least not often :fire:
 
That one comment about the cops planting drugs, etc in your car is pretty damn scary, although I would like to think it doesnt happen...or at least not often
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I thought it was a story about how the cop TOOK some drugs for himself.

While I might doubt a story about planted drugs, I'd tend to believe someone who said that he actually had MORE than he was charged with.

And I'll repeat the question:

How SHOULD you respond to a question that's not pertinent to the reason you were pulled over?
 
Armed Bear

so you believe that had mr williams not initally lied about the shot gun when asked about it the results woulda been the same? we'll never know for sure
 
so you believe that had mr vanitas not initally lied about the shot gun when asked about it the results woulda been the same? we'll never know for sure
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That doesn't matter in the least, in this context.

Had he not invited the cops in when he didn't have to, it would not have been an issue.

Like I said, my priority is to take care of myself.

If you want to invite the cops into your house so they can look around, go ahead. Be my guest.
 
I thought it was a story about how the cop TOOK some drugs for himself.
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You got it. My buddy just bought a 1/2OZ bag and was stopped on the way home before he had smoked any of it. The dope was confiscated. By the time it made it to evidence there was only an 1/8th left in the bag. He wasn't upset about it. It lowered the charges on him and he only got probation. But trust me, if it can happen with a bag of dope it can happen with cash too. When it's your word againt a cop you're gonna lose

Josh
 
You got it. My buddy just bought a 1/2OZ bag and was stopped on the way home before he had smoked any of it. The dope was confiscated. By the time it made it to evidence there was only an 1/8th left in the bag. He wasn't upset about it. It lowered the charges on him and he only got probation. But trust me, if it can happen with a bag of dope it can happen with cash too. When it's your word againt a cop you're gonna lose
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I'd give the LE the benefit of the doubt on this. Maybe he felt sorry for your buddy and knowing that the charge for having 1/2 oz is more than 1/8 oz he decided to help your buddy out by trashing some of the stuff.

Or the entire dept rolled a big dubbie and had a smoke out.
 
When it's your word againt a cop you're gonna lose
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...especially when you're better off going along with it. It's pretty safe for the cop that way.

1/2 ounce is probably a misdemeanor, whereas 1/8 is an infraction. Depends on the jurisdiction. So, someone charged with having a tiny amount is NEVER going to say, "No, judge! I swear I had a lot MORE!" unless he's pretty high when he goes to court.:rolleyes:

How do I know that, since I'm not a pothead?

Years ago, an ex-girlfriend had a single bud in a baggie in her underwear drawer. It'd been there for over a year. Her brother had given it to her, and she'd forgotten about it.

The local cops searched the house using a warrant based on a tip that it was being used to deal drugs, but they found nothing despite tearing everything up. Then they found her single bud of pot.

They prosecuted her to the fullest extent of the law (a small fine) because they didn't want to say that they'd found nothing after tearing up a local home.
 
Or the entire dept rolled a big dubbie and had a smoke out.
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I'd be as naive as thinking that's not what happened, if I hadn't once been an EMT. We had frequent contact with local police, firefighters, and tow truck drivers. Repo men are FUNNY! But anyway...

Went to a party at a cop's apartment. He had 12 good-sized PLANTS in a bedroom.:rolleyes:

His coworkers were there, too. They also figured that they were above the law.
 
I'd give the LE the benefit of the doubt on this. Maybe he felt sorry for your buddy and knowing that the charge for having 1/2 oz is more than 1/8 oz he decided to help your buddy out by trashing some of the stuff.

Or the entire dept rolled a big dubbie and had a smoke out.
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He didn't care where the dope went as long as it wasn't connected to him anymore:neener: . A small fine is better than jail anyday. My point is that there is a good chance this will happen with money as well:uhoh: . And if it does happen with money the burden of proof will be on you as to how much you had. Of course you might not have to worry about that if you can't first prove you were on your way to pay cash for a car and not a drug runner:cuss:

Josh
 
I wonder how many of you get equally worked up when the officer asks where you're coming from or where you're going.
 
Finally!

Soy, I have been sitting here wondering when someone was going to bring that up! When I get pulled over they allways ask and I say, why do you ask officer? I have never had one persist since they probably know you know it is your right to not answer becuase it is none of their business.
 
I wonder how many of you get equally worked up when the officer asks where you're coming from or where you're going.
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That depends.

If a traffic stop happens because I'm driving illegally, it can be legitimate for a cop to try to ascertain whether I just came from a bar.

If a question pertains to the traffic stop, I don't think it's wrong. Determining whether my violation is related to alcohol consumption is legitimate. While "drunk" driving laws, particularly regarding BAL thresholds, have gotten a bit out of hand, I certainly recognize that driving drunk is a threat to the safety of others and it is a crime. If someone disobeys a simple traffic law right in front of a cop, it is reasonable to suspect that he did it because he was drunk.

Does that mean I will necessarily answer? No. But getting worked up about it is a different question.

"Why do you ask?" is a good response.

If, however, I am pulled over for not fully stopping at a stop sign, and I'm asked how much cash I have on me, that crosses the line.
 
Bingo!

If, however, I am pulled over for not fully stopping at a stop sign, and I'm asked how much cash I have on me, that crosses the line.
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Bingo!
 
depends

if its 3 am and your a white boy just entering the hood headed for the stop and cop the question makes sense yyou stll can decline to answer it. one of the reasons they ask is so they can ask again and when they get a different answer they get an idea that you are hiding something. i just tell em the truth and aside from a lil early onset forgetfulness i'm safe. what ever mental gymnastics and posturing floats someone elses boat is their buisness. some folks catch a buzz off that kinda stuff . not me i did it for real for too long to feel the need to act as if
 
When I was in college I sometimes chatted with one of the security guards. Interesting guy.

He told me about what had happened to him the week before. His daughter and her husband were in the front seat of the car. He was in the back. The cops pulled them over. Why? No reason given except "What are you two doing in this car? Where are you going?" It stopped pretty soon after he piped up "They're taking her old man to work!"

I wonder if the fact that, she was blonde and her husband was Black had anything to do with it?

Nah. Couldn't be.:scrutiny:
 
No way in hell would I open such an open-ended question like that, curteous or not! If they ask me if I'm carrying a lot of cash - even if I've got less than $1 in change in my pocket - I will reply with, "Excuse me officer, but I'm not quite sure what you mean. What's a lot of cash?"

If they're trying to get me for the "over $10k in posession" gag, they'll clarify it. If they just want a bribe, it'll be clear. I'm not going to step into something which, regardless of the answer, will potentially land me in trouble.
 
How much trouble would I get into if I responded with, "Why, how much do you want"?- Or even better, "Well let's see here", (pulling out wallet and pretending to look through it), "got about 5 grand in US, but I've got at least 10K of Kugerands in a coffee can in the trunk"- Or perhaps, throwing up hands with a startled look and responding, "OK you got the Tater"
 
Highway robbery

The only reason for an officer to ask "are you carrying a large sum of cash" is to confiscate (steal) money from law abiding citizens. Does anyone think a drug dealer would answer "yes sir" to that question?? Of course not.
 
Just answer "I have sufficent for my needs" don't add to it and don't give a #. It's NOTFB.

But I invite you to come live in California and chat with some cops.
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Armedbear,
I hear you! I've been stopped by lots of COPS with some sort of deficency. At 18 I realized the importance of knowing my rights. I drove a green 1969 vw bug. Cops started pulling me over about once a week for a few months. IT was always a "warning" about signaling, speeding, lane changes... After about 5 stops the cop accused me of going 38 mph in a 35 zone. I demanded he write me a ticket, think that if I challenged it in court the local PD would start backing off. He threatened to "lock me up" if I didn't "cooperate"
A few months passed with this and one day I went to Palm Springs (the armpit of riverside IMHO) and on the way back in 100+ degrees I got stopped. I wasn't speeding (I was in a VW bug, remember) I followed suit of hands visable and remain motionless until cop asks, he approached my car with hand on pistol and in a stern voice told me to slows open the door and exit the vehicle. I complyed. HE then began to search my car (with out asking) I had nothing to worry about so I sat patiently on the hot curb burning my butt. After 15 minutes of sitting waiting and him looking through every nook and cranney of my car he proclaimed "well there arn't any drug in there!" to whih I responded "they don't come standard with this model" I then asked what the heck was going on and that I'd been stopped so much. He told me that there was a report of a green VW bug "trafficing drugs" I assured him it wasn't me. He told me to "drive safe" and left. Too bad I was so dumb to allow that to happen, a lawyer friend (patent lawyer) said they'd have argued probable cause. So on the way home I stopped at walmart, shelled out $20 for 20 cans of grey primer and painted my bug. THe problem stopped.

Last spring I was stopped for speeding, cop saw my handgun safety cert. and asked if I had a gun in the car.:banghead: that paper is not under my dl anymore.

So winded, yes. But cops arn't your friends. And some are just plain evil:fire:
 
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