# What are the chances of this person going to jail? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-chances-of-this-person-going-to-jail/279860 "2004-12-14T21:35:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-chances-of-this-person-going-to-jail/279860/1 "2004-12-14T21:35:59Z")
Let’s say I’ve got this friend who has several long standing warrants out for his arrest. If his house is broken into and he calls the cops, would have to worry about the officer running _his_ license and taking him to jail or would the officers not have probable cause to run his ID? I don’t think they could run his ID, but I am not 100% sure so I was hoping someone here would know. ---
**Author:** ![Alvis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alvis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alvis)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-chances-of-this-person-going-to-jail/279860/2 "2004-12-14T21:39:13Z")
They don’t need probable cause to run an ID. If they know who he is (and I assume he gives his name when filing a report) they can pull his records. > [@Greathouse](#): > > Let’s say I’ve got this friend who has several long standing warrants out for his arrest. If his house is broken into and he calls the cops, would have to worry about the officer running _his_ license and taking him to jail or would the officers not have probable cause to run his ID? > > I don’t think they could run his ID, but I am not 100% sure so I was hoping someone here would know. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-chances-of-this-person-going-to-jail/279860/3 "2004-12-14T21:56:54Z")
I know a guy in my town who this happened to. He called the police for something innocuous and one of the cops happened to run his name and came up with an outstanding warrent. Guess who was brought down to the station? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-chances-of-this-person-going-to-jail/279860/4 "2004-12-14T22:06:08Z")
Didn’t something like this happen to Mick Jagger or someone equally famous in Spain? ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-chances-of-this-person-going-to-jail/279860/5 "2004-12-14T22:51:58Z")
That’s why my wife’s cousin’s boyfriend won’t call the cops. He won’t drive over the speed limit either. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-chances-of-this-person-going-to-jail/279860/6 "2004-12-14T22:57:02Z")
> [@Odinoneeye](#): > > That’s why my wife’s cousin’s boyfriend won’t call the cops. > > He won’t drive over the speed limit either. Your wife’s cousin is going out with Mick Jagger? _ **that** _ won’t last. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![oh\_s](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b38774/32.png) [@oh\_s](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oh_s)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-chances-of-this-person-going-to-jail/279860/7 "2004-12-15T01:56:19Z")
> [@Greathouse](#): > > Let’s say I’ve got this friend who has several long standing warrants out for his arrest. If his house is broken into and he calls the cops, would have to worry about the officer running _his_ license and taking him to jail or would the officers not have probable cause to run his ID? > > I don’t think they could run his ID, but I am not 100% sure so I was hoping someone here would know. You my friend are up the creek in a barb wire canoe. You have two options. 1. get someone else to file the report. 2. pay the fines. ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-chances-of-this-person-going-to-jail/279860/8 "2004-12-15T02:21:25Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Didn’t something like this happen to Mick Jagger or someone equally famous in Spain? Who’s as famous as Mick Jagger in Spain? ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-chances-of-this-person-going-to-jail/279860/9 "2004-12-15T04:01:41Z")
> [@oh&s](#): > > You my friend are up the creek in a barb wire canoe. You have two options. > > 1. get someone else to file the report. > 2. pay the fines. The OP, **Greathouse** ’s, friend, has those two options. And **Greathouse** has the option to burgle his friend’s house. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![oh\_s](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b38774/32.png) [@oh\_s](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oh_s)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-chances-of-this-person-going-to-jail/279860/10 "2004-12-15T04:38:19Z")
> [@MaryEFoo](#): > > The OP, **Greathouse** ’s, friend, has those two options. And **Greathouse** has the option to burgle his friend’s house. 😃 ``` yeah mate, that's the risk you run. Hows that go again "oh what a tangled web we weave.....". I can't talk I,ve state debt recovery on my arse, but I have fronted and they have lost the file so I've got some time up my sleave, I wonder how long it will take them? It's nearly 4yrs already. ```