I hate Utah law enforcement!

**Storm11** · 04-11-2004, 09:54 PM

I leiu of the thread on the guys getting arrested at the Peruvian, I figured I'd share my story from this weekend.
So my friend and I are driving to Moab on this past Friday afternoon and about 20 miles out we see a sign saying "Drug check point ahead, drug dogs and law enfocement checkpoint 1/2 mile ahead"
So we freak, pull over and ditch the 1/8th and pipe that we had. Next thing we know, the cops pull us over and arrest me. They had 3 guys hiding in the bushes with spotting scopes and binoculars watching the reactions on our faces from the moment that we saw the sign. They let my friend go, but I had to sit in the back of the fucking cop car for 2 hours while they waited to arrest 3 more people before taking us to the jail in Monticello. Every time that they found anything, they'd sit there and brag about it and rub it in the 'victims' faces. They created a situation that forced "probable cause", which I think was sneaky and decietful. So much for "Serve and Protect." Anyway, while I'm sitting there, I'm listening to the guys with binoculars on the radio. They're just sitting there watching the reactions on peoples faces, and if they have a cracked windshield, don't use their blinkers or just simply pull over and they observe them trying to hide anything, you're screwed. So I get booked and thrown in jail. 6 hours after I got arrested, I get bailed out. Now I owe over $1000 unless I get it knocked down, for LESS THAN AN 1/8th!!! There were kids who had less than a bowl that got the same penalty that I got. This is such bullshit. They arrested 12 people just that day, mostly kids from Fort Lewis College. Only 1 person had more than an ounce (some lady who got busted with 200 lbs....she's screwed). I hate the laws of Utah. If it would have been here in Colorado, I would have gotten a $60 ticket and had my stuff confiscated. Such crap.
P.S. Any legal advice is more than welcome. Apparently the judge in Monticello is pretty cool, so I hope that will help me.

**bluewood_skier** · 04-11-2004, 09:56 PM

Yeah that really blows!

**wahama88** · 04-11-2004, 09:59 PM

Sums of Biatches

**Billow** · 04-11-2004, 10:03 PM

Did they actually have the dogs?

**Storm11** · 04-11-2004, 10:04 PM

yeah, they had a dog, but they only used him once they had pulled you over and seen you stash your stuff somewhere.

**Billow** · 04-11-2004, 10:07 PM

So keep it cool and keep driving when see pig in Utah

**Storm11** · 04-11-2004, 10:10 PM

Originally posted by Billow
So keep it cool and keep driving when see pig in Utah

Exactly, if we wouldn't have freaked, we would have been just fine. I would have stayed out of jail, we would have gotten to stay in Moab, I could still be buying a kayak and I'd still have weed. What a shit weekend this was

**BobMc** · 04-11-2004, 10:10 PM

Heh, I went down to Southern Utah this weekend as well.

Let's just say I can empathize with you...

BobMc

PS, Any legal advice is more than welcome.

**Storm11** · 04-11-2004, 10:12 PM

Originally posted by BobMc
Heh, I went down to Southern Utah this weekend as well.

Let's just say I can empathize with you...

BobMc

PS, Any legal advice is more than welcome.

Bastards got you too huh? Same fine? Where'd it happen?

**BobMc** · 04-11-2004, 10:13 PM

Nephi, expired plate. Tossed my truck. Sucked.

BobMc

Edit: Be thankful you didn't get a dui, I did. They made me take a pee test, if detected I'm guilty.

**Dantheman** · 04-11-2004, 10:17 PM

That is completely and utterly fucked up, I'm speechless.

You shoulda eaten it.[/bad taste, cue super troopers references]

edit: Since we're on the subject, I might as well tell my story about Utah cops. Coming back from spring break I got pulled over for 91 in a 75 just north of St. George. Close to an ozer in the trunk, couple grams up front with me. Not only was I treated very politely by the cop, he wrote the ticket for 84, meaning that the fine was only $50 and it didn't get reported to my insurance. Sometimes it really kicks ass looking like a good mormon boy .

**Storm11** · 04-11-2004, 10:19 PM

Originally posted by Dantheman
That is completely and utterly fucked up, I'm speechless.

You shoulda eaten it.[/bad taste, cue super troopers references]

True, but it was just under an 8th, plus I had a pipe, which in itself is a $375 fine and that's only if there's no resin in it, which there was.
And that would have really sucked cause I'd still be in jail and I'd be higher than shit if I ate that much. [licks jail window] "The shnozberries taste like shnozberries!"

**Foggy_Goggles** · 04-11-2004, 10:42 PM

Not to make matters worse but I've not heard good things about the Monticello judge.

**Dexter Rutecki** · 04-11-2004, 10:45 PM

One of my first thoughts when I read this and got to the part about the sign was 'it's a trick to see who panics'--but then I guess you're potentially screwed either way. Still, if the highway was at all busy and they really were doing a checkpoing there should've been a pretty big logjam to tell you it was real.
Bummer. Maybe an attorney could help you.

**powderfarmer** · 04-11-2004, 10:47 PM

note to self, no more "almost to potash road" smoke breaks. Well what kind of fun is a moab road trip gonna be now?

My only experiance with utah cops as been good, got pulled over right at the moab city limit on the way back from a socal motorcross trip. It was way late at night and we had been driving all day, planned to camp at potash. Was half asleep when the speed limit lowered for town, I didn't really slow down cause I was probably sleeping, but got pulled over for 61 in a 45, no ticket, no warning, cop was way cool. But on a side note, plenty of friends have been screwed coming back from moab or powell. Seems to me that if you have outdoor gear other than bikes or skis with you, cops are pretty mellow.

**Samwich** · 04-11-2004, 11:05 PM

that sucks dude. what the hell was the guy with less than a bowl thinking? just eat it!

**Red Baron** · 04-11-2004, 11:06 PM

This has been a huge issue here; going as far as the Utah Supreme Court. Anyone remember when they would do this at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon? What a mess.

Roadblocks were deemed illegal here for several years, after court challenges that they were too broad. In fact, under current Utah Law, a police department that wants to do a roadblock has to get a judge to sign off on the parameters. Here is a clip of information on that:

...the Utah Supreme Court cautioned police against conducting multipurpose roadblocks. Justices took issue with the arrest of a man on drug conviction charges at a driver license and registration check roadblock on Interstate 70 three years ago. Justices found that checking for unrelated violations at a roadblock was too broad, giving individual officers too much discretion in deciding how to conduct roadblock inquiries and inspections.

That's why the sign specifies "Drug Check Point", not just "road block" or something like that.

If you are interested in the ruling for some beta on how you can handle this, take a read;

Utah Court Ruling

As someone who was hit by a drunk driver in broad daylight, I see value in keeping the roads safe.

In my accident - the police and firefighters said I "should not have been able to walk away", and I was lucky. I think keeping stoned and drunk people off the road is a great idea, and I hope most people would agree.

I do have a problem with the over-reaching hand of the law, and these checkpoints in general, especially when they are handled like this one is. I thought there was some part of the law that said the sign had to be a certain distance before the checkpoint, to give drivers the option to not enter it, but I can't find any information about it. I guess nothing screams guilt, like a big old U-turn...

Ted $tryker · 04-11-2004, 11:08 PM

Solution: Don't drive drunk and carry illegal drugs.

**BobMc** · 04-11-2004, 11:11 PM

Originally posted by Ted $tryker
Solution: Don't drive drunk and carry illegal drugs.

Yeah, that'd be all fine and dandy if I was drunk. I wasn't. I was given a dui for driving under the influence of marijuana. As I said, piss test, guilty if positive.

If that isn't fucked I don't know what is.

BobMc

**Dantheman** · 04-11-2004, 11:13 PM

Originally posted by Red Baron
. I guess nothing screams guilt, like a big old U-turn...

Well, yeah, especially since it's illegal to whip a U-ey on the freeway anyway

**Red Baron** · 04-11-2004, 11:21 PM

As I said, piss test, guilty if positive

Man Bob, that's rough. Hang in there...

Ted Stroker · 04-11-2004, 11:23 PM

Originally posted by BobMc
Yeah, that'd be all fine and dandy if I was drunk. I wasn't. I was given a dui for driving under the influence of marijuana. As I said, piss test, guilty if positive.

If that isn't fucked I don't know what is.

BobMc

If you were driving under the influence of something lame like .....CRACK, now that would be some BULLSHIT!!!

It was because of an asshole like you that I lost my grandma.
She was walking across the street in her stroller on the way to the salon to get her hair done, and one of you Cheech and Chong types greased her doing like 83 in a 20MPH zone. All they found after the accident was scrap aluminum and false teeth laying here and there. FUCK YOU ASSHOLE!!!

**Dantheman** · 04-11-2004, 11:35 PM

Please do not feed the trolls. Thank you.

**BobMc** · 04-11-2004, 11:40 PM

Originally posted by Ted Stroker
If you were driving under the influence of something lame like .....CRACK, now that would be some BULLSHIT!!!

It was because of an asshole like you that I lost my grandma.
She was walking across the street in her stroller on the way to the salon to get her hair done, and one of you Cheech and Chong types greased her doing like 83 in a 20MPH zone. All they found after the accident was scrap aluminum and false teeth laying here and there. FUCK YOU ASSHOLE!!!

Man, I gotta say this shit is getting old. I'm sure I'm not the only one tired of all this bullshit.

The whole Ted Stryker/akpoofter/assorted other shit, gets extremely tiring. I realize you think you are being funny, but, usually you are anything but.

I'm not one for censorship, but I have to admit you are treading the line. Your only goal on this board seems to berate or attempt to make fun of others. I'm not speaking to you in particular, well, yes I am. But, this goes out to all other jackasses on the board.

I very rarely sling mud, but if I do I do it under my own name. Have the nuts to do that yourself.

BobMc

PS, I was doing 75 in a 75 zone. I hadn't smoked marijuana for several hours. I was pulled over for an expired plate.