Just give up some of your 4th Amendment Rights, citizen.
A Nova Scotia man was nabbed for impersonating a police officer. For others who found themselves in trouble with the law Monday, it started with an invalid inspection sticker or out-of-date registration.
All ran afoul of a “checkpoint” at the rest area on Route 9 in Township 30.
Almost any day of the week, the area is about as busy as a City Council meeting, but not Monday. The parking lot was filled with cars — both police and would-be violators.
Dubbed Operation Lobster Claw, the checkpoint by the Washington County Sheriff’s Department was set up on Route 9 to stop traffic. Three K-9 units, the Maine State Police Vehicle Enforcement, along with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, also were there.It wasn’t a roadblock, because roadblocks are illegal, according to the U.S. Supreme Court.
It was a safety inspection.
“There’s a difference between a checkpoint and a roadblock,” Sheriff Donnie Smith said Monday. “We have the legal right to check vehicles. [We] go to secondary [check] if for some reason they stand out, that’s legal,” Smith said.
I haven’t seen any of these out here in the USSW, and I don’t know what I’d do if I did, besides call a lawyer as soon as I got home.
Hat Tip to reader Mike D.
These types of roadblocks are illegal. They tried them in Michigan years ago. They are done for one purpose only, drunk drivers, drugs etc. crime De Jour. The next step is your home. Think not? Think McCain Feingold. Next case your Honor.
Did you read the comments on the article? Apparently Mainers are mostly sheep. “If you have nothing to hide, why are you concerned”, “Good on the police to affect positive change”, sheesh some people know so little about anything remotely relating to government that they should not be allowed to vote…
Let’s just hope they are sufficeintly apathetic that they do not vote.
It’s not a roadblock? Riiiight.
“We have the legal right to check vehicles.”
Yes, that’s why they have drug dog there, because everyone knows they’re good at sniffing out bad brakes.
… and why they run backgound checks on all the ID, because it’s good at turning up cracked windshields.
… and why they’re searching the cargo portion of vehicles, because everyone knows you have to check in there to see if the headlights are working.