What are my rights? (BC)

[doopity]

Hi, I'm from BC and I've seen alot of talk about rights when being pulled over or caught by an officer. But I know most of these apply to living in the states. But does anyone know what my rights are for BC?

For example, if I was caught or a cop supposed me of being in possession of marijuana. What would I have the right to say, what would they have the right to ask? Would they be able to search my bag?

Sorry if this is already posted somewhere but I'd really like to know.
Thanks.

 

[OldMedUser]

Hi doopity

I'm originally from BC and was pulled over just miles from the Alberta border 5 years ago. The cop stopped me for speeding, 130 in a 100 zone. Damned '85 Oldsmobile. I felt like 100. I had a couple of unregistered weapons in the trunk that I'd brought back from the family cabin and enough ammo to start my own rebellion. The QP under the back seat might have complicated matters as well. lol

Any way he asked if he could have a look through my car and I just said, "No sir, you can't. That would be against my rights". He just said OK, handed me back my papers and let me off with a warning for the speeding. I found a place to pull over a few miles down the road, changed my skivies and carried on.

AFAIK, they can't search your bag unless they have a reason. Like it reeked of pot or blood is leaking out etc. You're always best to say no to any search request. If he's asking he doesn't think he has reasonable grounds for a search or he'd just take your bag and have a look.

If he finds anything don't try to talk your way out of it. Just ask if you're under arrest, what for and if so, ask for a lawyer and clam up. If you're only holding a little personal he might just take it and send you on your way or even let you keep it. Best to keep a friendly attitude up to and including an arrest. When a cop has you in his sights you're his bitch and you should act like it for the best outcome for you.

I'd like to find a site or forum that deals with real life scenarios like Barry Cooper does with US laws but for us Canuckleheads. You can go read the Canadian Charter of Rights but it's all greek to me. Our personal rights and freedoms are very much like the US but not exactly the same so not knowing can get a guy in trouble.

Hope that helped a bit.

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[doopity]

Thank you. This helps alot.

Actually last time I got caught it was on the roof of a school with a couple of highschool buddies of mine. The cop told us to get the &%*$ down from there and we left our ounce plus bong and pipe up on the roof. Once we got down he searched all of us with no consent, but luckily everything was up on the roof and the 300 lb cop wasn't about to go up there and search for it. We told him we smoked a joint and left the roach up top. He took our information and we left, happily ever after.

 

[OldMedUser]

Did you go back and get your goods after he buggered off. I know I would have back in my high school days. Hell, I'd do it now! :0)

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[StinkFinger]

Hey LabRat.

Sounds like some very sane advice!

Reminds me of a quick Canadian story. I'm traveling from the US to Vancouver, where I believe they are pretty liberal leaning towards MJ, from what I read? Anyway, in the airport the customs agents noticed I was traveling alone, I was actually on a business trip. My luck, he picks me out for additional screening. Moves me over to a counter where he's asking me all these questions, briefly looking at my items contained in my luggage and didn't find anything. Specifically asked me if I had any drugs. But here's where it gets going! He then asks me for my drivers license and tells me that he'll be right back. He ducks back into a back room, and makes me wait several minutes, I'm still in the "customer area" and there's a big two way mirror that I'm sure they are watching me from. He ends up coming back and starts questioning me hard about marijuana use, when was the last time I used, do I have any with me, etc, etc. He finally throws me a "life-line" and says that if I have a small amount, he'll confiscate and let me go, no fine, no further bs. So I jump at this opportunity, the last thing I needed was them to find the three roaches I had hidden in my luggage and placed in jail in Canada. He admitted to me after I handed over the J's that they ran a trace residue chemical analysis from my drivers license that I handed over to him, and from the bowl, or joints that I had smoked previous during the day was enough to transfer over to my license which triggered a positive on the machine. I laugh at your mention of pulling over to "change your shorts" because that's exactly what I ended up doing also!!!

Needless to say, I now use that Purell stuff before entering the airport, and make sure my license is nice and clean!

Thanks again for sharing your experience!

S.F

 

[OldMedUser]

Good one SF!

I got nailed going the other way. I was driving around one Sunday afternoon with my buddy in his old VW near Abbotsford, BC. We were blasting a couple of fatties while driving around in the country near the border crossing at Sumas, WA. when cotton mouth got us bad so we decided to scoot across the line and suck back some beer at the Maple Leaf tavern in Sumas. I got him to stop and stashed my bag and papers on the side of the road assuming if he had anything he'd give it to me to stash too.

We get to the border and got pulled over into US customs. something about the car reeking of pot. ID'ed and all that then the guards that were searching the car came in with all ding-bat's stuff. Roach clip, hash pipe and about 3 Js worth of roaches. Then it got a little less cordial as we were escorted into the back room where we were interrogated, strip searched and treated like we got caught with a freakin' bomb. They let us off after they figured we weren't a threat to national security and let us go our merry way. Buddy was out the door in a flash and on my way out I see a big bowl with buddies stuff in it. I look at the guard and say, "What about this stuff?" He just tells me to get it the f**k out of his office 'cause it was stinkin' the place up. So I scooped it up and went to the bar with buddy. To get home with the stash we drove out of town and tossed it over the border and picked it up on the way home.
Good times.

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[doopity]

Indeed we went back up, and started smoking again. I remember the cop telling us that the THC stays in your body forever and never leaves.

 

[OldMedUser]

Indeed we went back up, and started smoking again. I remember the cop telling us that the THC stays in your body forever and never leaves.

Cops can be pretty stupid sometimes. He probably believed it to be true.

Sometimes it helps tho. Many years ago I scored an oz of honey oil to take to a party lake up the Fraser Valley and the guy didn't have anything to put it in. His GF had an empty plastic egg that panty hose came in so we used that. I tossed it in the glove box in my VW and off we f**cked to the lake. We got pulled over as the cops would stop any hippy types just 'cause. They went through the car and a cop walks over with the egg open and says "What's this?". I figured I was busted so I just said "It's oil man" He says OK, walks over and puts it back in the glove box. I couldn't believe my luck. We get to the lake and meet up with another dozen people. I started getting paranoid about that oil so I grabbed it and stashed it down the trail under a log. About ten minutes later two cop cars show up and that same cop grabs my ass and demands to see the egg. I told him I poured the oil in the engine and burned the egg up in the fire. The f**kers tore the campsite apart and roughed me up a bit but left empty handed. We were laughing about it all weekend.

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