What law does this fall under?
By lilwonders
@lilwonders456 (8214)
United States
September 22, 2009 7:15am CST
Here in my state we have seen a rash of people getting taken to jail for not having ID on them. It was in the newpaper. The news is telling everyone to always have picture ID on them at all times. Even if you are just out walking the dog.
One guy was walking home from work. He did not have ID on him. The cops stopped and asked why he walking down the road. He said was walking home from work. When he did not have a picture ID to prove he was he went to jail. Saw a judge the next morning. Paid over 600 bucks to get out and then when he comes back with picture ID he gets hte money back. Did I mention he was walking in his neighborhood. Not even on the highway or anything. THey arrested him within a couple of blocks from his house.
Another guy was driving and got pulled over. He had moved to the state but had not changed his drivers lincense over yet. THey give you 60 days here and he had not done it yet and was out of that 60 day time limit. Well the cop took him to jail saying he did not have a vailid drivers license. Yet his old one was not expired yet. But he could not "prove" who he was with a SC licence so they still charged him. THe judge told him to change his licence over within 30 days and they would drop all the charges and give him his bail money back. Yep they made him bail himself out over it.
A group of guys were fishing off a pier. The cops stopped and asked for ID they did not have it.....they went through the same thing. True they were fishing off a pier without a fishing licence...but that is a small fine here...not a go to jail offence. They got loved ones to show up at court the next morning with their id. They were released with a ticket for fishing without a license and that was it..once they could "prove" who htey were.
So what laws says you have to have a photo ID on you at all times? I can't find one but the cops around here think they can stop anyone for any reason (weather you are driving a car or not) and if you can't "prove who you are" with a valid SC ID they take you to jail.
What do you think about this? Is this happening anywhere else? Why is this happening? What law does this fall under?
Do I now have to worry about taking a picture ID with me when I take the kids for a walk in the neighborhood or are outside in the cul de sac with them when they play? Anyone else see this as stupid?
4 people like this
17 responses
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
22 Sep 09
I didn't realize that they had such laws anywhere. I know that in this town I was told that the cops do keep an eye out on the streets and will stop someone and ask them who they are and why they are there if they look like they are just walking or driving around and around. But the whole photo ID thing - does everyone have a photo ID? If you don't drive, you can get an ID but would everyone need one or have a need to get one? Would you get one if you didn't need it?
I don't live in SC and so if I went there I would not have a valid SC driver's license. Are you saying that they would arrest people if they aren't from that state?
I think it smacks of a police state. Unless you are doing something suspicious and have no way of proving who you are (that could include them calling your home and asking someone there, credit cards, other ID or just giving your name and address) then I can't see the need to detain someone for walking down the street.
But I hear it happened to Bob Dylan in New Jersey. He was there for a concert but went out for a walk. Someone called the police about a strange old man wandering through the neighborhood. When the cop came, she was in her early 20s and his telling her that he was Bob Dylan meant nothing to her or her 24 year old partner. They took him to the theater he was appearing at where staff vouched for him. That was the right way to handle it if you ask me. Lucky for them they didn't turn out to be the cops who arrested Bob Dylan for vagrancy.
I think if a cop asks you to identify yourself, you're stupid if you don't do it. They will take you to jail. But if you tell them who you are and it can be verified through any means, there's no reason to take you to jail unless you committed a crime.
2 people like this
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
22 Sep 09
I agree if you are doing something wrong or get pulled over in your car than they can ask for ID and you had better produce it or go to jail
But bugging people who are not doing anything illegal or just taking a walk is just stupid.
As for the tourist. I hope they dont' act this way with them. We depend on the toursit for our local ecomony. To say the least the economic crisis in the country has slowed down the tourist so everyone that does come counts. They last thing we need is a tourist getting arrested for going to the beach without a picture ID and ending up arrested. Not only would they not come back but when they got home they would tell their friends and they would not come vacation here. A lot of hotels are right on the beach....so I would think most tourist would leave their id and other valuables in their hotel rooms when they walk down to the beach.
I do know that the cops don't play with the speed limit here. They don't give you a 5 mile leaway. Most tourist don't know that and a lot of them get busted and have to pay the ticket. More money for the state , that is why I think they are so tough on the speed limits here. Plus most tourist will get pay the ticket instead of sticking around for the court date to fight it. Shameful but it happens.
2 people like this
@cbjones (1147)
• United States
23 Sep 09
I'm in North Carolina...I'll make it a point to avoid South Carolina till further notice. I saw a news story that sounded a lot like this, a few months back while watching one of the big news channels. It was in Texas I think. Of course nobody wanted to answer questions on camera, because they couldn't come up with a non-bull way of justifying it.
Sounds an easy way of pocketing large sums on money I wish they'd try that mess in NC. Not saying whether or not I'd startr up some sort of protest or anything...But, I am basically walking distance from Virginia. I could simply bail if they tried to get me while I'm on one of my AM walks or street ball sessions without my ID in hand.
It's like that old saying: Sometimes tis better to...get the heck out of dodge instead of paying some asinine fine...Or something like that. o_o'
2 people like this
@princess07031980 (5412)
• United States
22 Sep 09
That seems extreme. I mean seriously jails are overcrowded nearly everywhere, and that is what they are going after now? Those cops must be bored. I don't know if that is legal actually or not-no new law has taken effect to such nature that I have heard of. Maybe it's a stupid way for the county to make money, charging bail to some who will hopefully not have the money to pay out? Let me know if you hear any more of this story in your area.
1 person likes this
@princess07031980 (5412)
• United States
23 Sep 09
The controversy of crime happens everywhere, and it seems America is notorious for this type of action as well. Jails are full of non-violent offenders, and they are just costing the public more and more tax dollars. I think that has to be the motive behind this. I can't see what else the big deal is. It's always a GOOD idea to have your id on you in case of a bad situation, and it is law to have an identification (to prove your existence, and anymore to define yourself that you are in fact an American citizen or not), but to not have it on you shouldn't be a crime. Certainly not worth jail time. How stupid!
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
23 Sep 09
That is what I thought. The jails are over crowded as is....why add to it for simplly not having ID on you.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
23 Sep 09
The problem is, in a FREE society, cops have to have probable cause to ask you for an ID. Simply walking around in public doesn't qualify.
No honest, ethical or freedom loving police officer would ever haul someone in for simply walking in a public place. If this is happening in your city, the law has to be challenged and the police need to be reigned in.
2 people like this
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
22 Sep 09
ok ok ted. I will post hte links to the Beaufort and Bluffton papers.
Give me a minuate. I have not been posting links latley because they don't seem to want to work on here lately. They dont' show up as a hyper link. At least I have had the problem lately.
But I am being honest.
Peole are being taken in til they can prove who they are.They don't ahve to pay a fine if all they are taken in for is not having ID. Or course if there were other htings they were doing like speeding or other criminal stuff than ya they have to handle that. But once they prove who they are they are go free and if they had to bail themselves out then they get their moeny back.
I dont know if it is because we have a huge crime wave rise sense the economy tanked or because the tourist are not coming like they used to and so the state is hurting for money, or having to do with port secuirty. But they are asking people for ID and if you can't produce it you go to jail til you can or bail yourself out and then show up for your court date and prove who you are.
As for the guy who moved to the state and had not changed his license over yet....well i personally know him.He is my HB. Once he got a SC drivers license (which is did the next day after he bailed himself out). He was not happy about spending the night in jail over an out of state ID.He went back and showed it to the judge and they dropped everything. And told him it would take a couple of weeks but they would cut him a check for the 682.50 that it cost him to bail himself out and mail it to him. I wonder how many people move to a new state and because their licence is not about to expire they don't change it over and then end up in jail for not having "valid id" for the state they moved to.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
23 Sep 09
No elected official of any sort of humanity would even pass such an anti freedom law.
What city is this and please, name the names of the scum in your city building that vomited this "law" onto the citizens.
Publicize their names, office numbers and pics!
2 people like this
@ShirleyBillingsley (1544)
• United States
22 Sep 09
A valid i.d., and/or a valid drivers liscense has been required for some years now. I think they started doing that about 7 years ago, however it was not enforced in all counties and states at that time.
Hitchhikers were the primary target form many of the law enforcement. I guess now, they are choosing randomly.
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
22 Sep 09
Don't you think it is stupid to stop people when they are walking in their own neighborhood and demanding ID is stupid? There is no law the requires you to have a drivers license if you do not drive or own a car. State IDs are available. But htere is no law that says you HAVE to have one.How many people take picture ID with them to walk the dog or take a walk around the neighborhood? HEck I have neighbors that go jogging every morning or ride their bikes for exercise in the evening. I am sure htey don't carry picutre ID to run or bike around the neighborhood. My kids are little so I go outside with them when they go out to play in the cul de sac...I don't bring picture ID with me to watch them play. But with the way thinks look right now you can not step out your front door without it for any reason or you can go to jail. I just want to know what law requires them to do it.
1 person likes this
@ShirleyBillingsley (1544)
• United States
22 Sep 09
I guess the point would be, if the authorities are looking for someone, and they happen to fit your description, then if you have no i.d. on your person, they do have the legal right to hold you for up to 72 hours, without a valid reason, while they run a check on "who" you say you are.
1 person likes this
@bestmommy (92)
• United States
23 Sep 09
Did you hear that this happened to Bob Dylan in Long Branch NJ. He was walking around a low income neighborhood, looking at vacant houses, trying to find the house in which Bruce Springsteen wrote Born to Run in 1974. Two young officers in their 20's stopped him and did not recognize who he was and asked for ID which he was not carrying at the time. They did not arrest him, but took him back to the hotel he was staying at and the manager vouched for him. The news said a resident had called the police because he looked suspicious so by law that had to stop him and investigate. But as far as stopping people for ID while out walking dogs or taking a bike ride, I've never heard of that happening in my town.
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
22 Sep 09
Well I've never heard of anything like that honestly. It's really ridiculous and frankly, unconstitutional. Someone needs to teach the police their about the 4th ammendment. I'm disgusted by such conduct. Those people should seriously consider suing the county or at least contact their local senators and congressman about what happened.
2 people like this
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
23 Sep 09
"What law does this fall under?"
- the new socialist regime?
1 person likes this
@gewcew23 (8007)
• United States
22 Sep 09
Welcome to the police state. A driver's licences is just that a driver's licence, a licences that proves you have the ability to drive, not walk, talk, and or chew bubble gum. So to be outside of my home I need identification, ridiculous! What next police are going to go door to door checking identification of the current residence, under the disguise of making sure that the people living in the house are suppose to be there?
1 person likes this
@horsesrule (1957)
• United States
22 Sep 09
I hadn't heard about this. I'm kind of surprised about it though because it seems so stupid. And it really seems to make it seem more like a country that is ruled where the citizens have no rights. I know there's a word for that but I can't think of it now. I have no clue what law not having an idea on you violates but it really seems like being arrested for not having an ID on you violates our basic freedom. That's creepy.
1 person likes this
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
22 Sep 09
I don't know of a law that says you have ot have ID on you when you leave your house. That is unless you are driving a car. Then yes you ahve to have your drivers license on you.
But other than that.....if you are not doing something wrong they should leave you alone.
2 people like this
@Latrivia (2878)
• United States
22 Sep 09
Oooh, Terry Stops - those suck. They don't even have a good reason to stop those people. Thank fully we don't have to have our ID on us every second of the day here in Texas. Personally I think any and all arrests made for simply not carrying your ID should be ruled unconstitutional, especially in cases where there was no indication the person had done anything wrong when they were asked for ID.
If I'm out walking my dog at 1 am in the morning, it's not Officer Joe's job to drive up to me and harrass me for my ID. I'm allowed to be secure in my person from "unwarranted searches and seizures" as long as he doesn't have any reason to think I've done wrong.
If I were you, I would totally raise a stink about it to my representatives.
1 person likes this
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
22 Sep 09
I plan to ask about it. It just seems like harrassment to me.
1 person likes this
@dreamr802 (985)
• United States
23 Sep 09
I can understand having an ID on you when you are driving or out drinking or something like that...but walking in your neighborhood or something like that is absolutely crazy. So does that mean whenever I go jogging on my street, I need my ID? Why would I carry anything other than my cell phone, key and maybe a water bottle? I'm not going to carry my purse everywhere. I think that is really overstepping their boundaries. To be thrown in jail for not having your idea on you is crazy. I once forgot my license in another pair of jeans and I was driving, I just had to show up at the court with my license...and the ticket got dropped, I didn't have to go to jail or anything like that.
1 person likes this
@shewolf52002 (1214)
• United States
22 Sep 09
Sounds to me like they are gearing up to start targeting illegals. If they randomly check ID's for people every where they will not be accused of racial profiling when they start in on hispanics. Just my take on the situation, could just be they are trying to "stimulate" their economy by hoping some will pay and just leave never to return with the ID.
It does seem a bit ridiculus though.
1 person likes this
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
22 Sep 09
that would not surprise me. We have a HUGE illegal problem here. And I mean HUGE.
But that does not mean you can just walk up to poeple for no reason and demand to see picture ID and hten when they can't produce it they take you to jail.
Seems to me it would be considered harrassement.
1 person likes this
@patms1 (521)
• United States
23 Sep 09
This is one of the most frighting thing I have every read. If this is true why haven't the newspapers all over America jumped on this? Has any one called a lawyer and started getting peoples to know this? How about The FBI or any state senators. Try the New York Post. I bet they will jump on this. I understand that we are under attack but this could be a way to start taking our freedom with our permission because we are told its for our protection.
@happy6162 (3001)
• United States
23 Sep 09
I have never heard of a law that said you have to have a picture ID on you if you are going to leave your house. Of course we all know we need a driver license with us when we are driving our car but walking or working in our own yard never heard that one before. I lived in SC about 30 years ago and never had that problem then glad I had move away from there. It is very stupid.
1 person likes this
@Eisenherz (2907)
• Portugal
26 Sep 09
Well, I think this law is far too simple to understand and you're just being too libertine about the whole thing. Having your ID/photo pass all the time with you is important because you never know what might happen. One time it can be a cop trying to ruin your day, the next it may be a medical emergency where you require it for identification...how about then, would it still be a stupid thing to have it around you?
@skysuccess (8857)
• Singapore
23 Sep 09
lilwonders456,
I feel that the law enforcements are just doing their job and that it is just being unfortunate and isolated case that some inconveniences like you had mentioned to happen.
Again, I must stress that it is one of isolated nature. It is just unfortunate that identification was not found with the subject and hence the necessary detention till a follow up or identification can be established.
I just feel that having our IDs with us is being necessary nowadays as it is ever being required by our banks, departmental shops and even eateries when we charge our cards. Since we are going to carry our wallets with us, I just feel that an ID or Driving License card is of any bother. Besides, it will save us much inconveniences than anything else.
Take care.
@artistry (4151)
• United States
23 Sep 09
...Hi lilwonders456, It is not only stupid, it seems as if they are making up laws as they go along. If they passed a new law, it has to be announced to the public and then the public is given a time frame as to when it will take effect. Otherwise the people should get the ACLU involved and possibly file a class action suit for harassment and false arrest, because there is no law on the books that has been broken. People do have rights and this sounds like "kangaroo court" time. The lack of a fishing license is a different story. Take care.
1 person likes this
