How did we go from this matter to multiple murderers? Now, answer the questions I asked you. Are you good with her being wrongly imprisoned?
Then like I said, let the courts determine that and dismiss the charges against her. Her, arguing with the cop in the street is the absolute wrong thing to do.
The courts have determined that a person in Watts’ situation is legally allowed to ignore a cop’s request, and legally allowed to walk away, and it is unlawful for a cop to detain them.
Arguing with the cop in the street is not illegal. She was within her rights to not answer the cop’s questions.
There was a complaint that there was a lewd act being performed in a public place.
The caller ID’d the couple involved as being a white male and black female.
The responding officer now has a reasonable suspicion that the couple he found, who answered the reported description, and were at the reported location, were the couple who were possibly involved in the lewd act that was reported by a member of the public.
The officer will then proceed to ask questions as to why the couple was there, who they are, and what were they doing. The officer didn’t introduce race into the Q and A. Daniele Watts did.
*“I want to see your ID. Somebody called, which gives me the right to be here, so it gives me the right to identify you by law,” Sgt. Parker says. “I’m going to get your ID one way or the other.”
“I’d already be gone,” Sgt. Parker tells Lucas after Watts storms off.
Watts is eventually placed in handcuffs for leaving the scene, and it’s during what the officers said was legal detainment that Watts continues to accuse both those who called the police and the police of being racist.
“I bet there is at least one person up there that is a racist. I bet you,” Watts said. “I bet you’re a little bit racist.”*
It seems to me that Watts acted like an asshole and was detained for walking away from the officer. Watts turned this into a racial issue and is pushing the prostitution angle.
From the same article -
*CNN’s Michaela Pereira informed Watts that police in the state of California are permitted to detain an individual for a reasonable amount of time to attain identification if they have reasonable suspicion a crime was committed.
“I still feel strongly like I didn’t have to,” Watts said. “In my opinion, it’s not a crime to be fully clothed showing affection on a public street in our own car. If we’re fully clothed — it doesn’t matter how passionately we’re making out — it’s my right and my pleasure to enjoy myself.”*
Apparently, Watts doesn’t care what the laws say. She’s an actress, doncha know. They are above the law. According to her, she even has a publicist. So what! Next time, Watts should get a room and stop expecting the public to enjoy her un-asked for and unwarranted street performances.
If only these facts had been addressed by anyone in this thread up to this point.
As Bricker and Hentor have explained, this is only the case if they have reasonable suspicion a felony was committed. In this case they only had reasonable suspicion a misdemeanor was committed, and therefore the officers were acting unlawfully by detaining Watts. The cops broke the law in this case.
Gee, let me put on my Imagination Cap and think of some ways.
- They see you leaving a gun shop.
- They see you wearing a shirt with NRA on it.
- They overhear you talking about guns to a friend.
- They knock on your door and demand to know if you own guns.
- They randomly stop passers-by and ask whether they own guns. Everyone who answers yes is flagged as suspicious and must show them their ID.
The fact that you’re even entertaining this line of inquiry is truly fascinating.
What law prohibits them from detaining her?
Constitutional law. Specifically, the 4th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
This really means that you don’t have any rights at all.
You first.
Lewd conduct is a felony on the second offense.
They did not have reasonable suspicion that this was the second offense. They broke the law.
And is “violating the 4th amendment” a felony or a misdemeanor? Where does the US Code or CA state law define the offense of “violating the 4th amendment”? How often are people prosecuted on that charge?
And that’s what I get for assuming Omar Little wasn’t a complete idiot.
Which is why they needed to identify her.
What law?
People are prosecuted for kidnapping, unlawful detainment, and related charges quite frequently.
Wow.
They broke the law by detaining her.
As has been said, the 4th Amendment. Kidnapping, unlawful detainment, and related laws may also be relevant here, but the cops definitely acted unlawfully by detaining Watts.