Houston Police attempt felony charge on woman holding speed trap sign

[JetPhoto 626]

Free speech or obstruction of goverment?

Houston Police attempt felony charge on woman holding speed trap sign

According to ABC News, Plummer was riding her bicycle home from a nearby grocery store when she saw what appeared to be police pulling over "random" drivers. She parked her bike, took one of the paper bags from the grocery store, and wrote "Speed Trap!!!" on it to display to motorists passing by.

The felony threat turned out to be fake, as Plummer was instead lodged in jail for 12 hours and made bail after the charges were reduced to a misdemeanor. She eventually was charged with standing in the street, something she vehemently denies.

http://blog.gasbuddy...02495-1129.aspx

[grumpyff 1,159]

[EMT111 149]

Why wouldn't they charge her with interfering with police duties, or whatever the the similar charge in Texas? I would guess that the reason this woman is riding a bike is cause her license got suspended or revoked due to DWIs or outstanding tickets or something and she's just sore at the police. I also guarantee that this blog and the woman would be the first people yelling if some kid got killed at that spot by someone speeding. As for searching her bag without consent, clearly they've never heard of the lunge able area exception or an inventory search for when you go to jail.

[Just a guy 493]

First off, this article, or blog or whatever you want to call it was clearly written by someone who knows NOTHING of the law and has some bias against law enforcement as is evidenced by the sarcasm that was noted through out.

It sounds like he arrested her for obstruction and the DA wouldn't go for it so they charged her with disorderly conduct. As far as searching her backpack without her consent, she was under arrest and at that point he doesn't need her consent, the officer has every right to inventory her property.

As a bicyclist in the area you would think that the police enforcing the VTL and causing drivers to slow down and pay more attention would be a positive thing for her because it would keep her safer on her bicycle, but she had to join the anti cop crowd and instead of applaud the police, she chose to work against them.

Good that they locked her up, maybe next time she will mind her business.

[ny10570 745]

I really doubt the officer saw the sign and decided she was getting hauled off. In my experience there's usually an exchange initiated by the officer asking the person to stop interfering with THEIR JOB. Other than NYPD highway cops I've never met an officer that enjoyed running traffic stops. Also never heard of someone aspiring to be a cop so they could catch speeders for 20 years. Often times officers are assigned to a traffic detail or encouraged to catch more VTL violators. Why wouldn't you just comply with a cop doing the job you as the tax payer hired them to do?

[PC_420 28]

Whether or not she has a license or has a beef against PD or any other reason... this woman was holding a sign! Too bad if PD doesn't like it. Its a sign. Sorry guys, get up and move. Its her right to hold that sign and she should be commended for the guts to hold that sign. Someone needs to remind the government that the people have real rights, like free speech which includes holding up simple signs, especially if its a sign that annoys the police. Its just how it works. The same First Amendment right that Neo-Nazis have, or the people who hold up those nasty signs at military funerals. "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death, your right to say it" -Voltaire... Especially what anyone has to say about government, the state, or the police. It's one of those rules of how democracy can survive

[ny10570 745]

Whether or not she has a license or has a beef against PD or any other reason... this woman was holding a sign! Too bad if PD doesn't like it. Its a sign. Sorry guys, get up and move. Its her right to hold that sign and she should be commended for the guts to hold that sign. Someone needs to remind the government that the people have real rights, like free speech which includes holding up simple signs, especially if its a sign that annoys the police. Its just how it works. The same First Amendment right that Neo-Nazis have, or the people who hold up those nasty signs at military funerals. "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death, your right to say it" -Voltaire... Especially what anyone has to say about government, the state, or the police. It's one of those rules of how democracy can survive

How would you feel is she was running around with a bullhorn announcing the police were prepping for a felony arrest raid? She wants to hold up signs against radar, go right ahead. She wants to protest heavy handed tactics employed by some police agencies, I'm right with her. Her actions were directly impeding the ability of the police to do their job.

[Just a guy 493]

Whether or not she has a license or has a beef against PD or any other reason... this woman was holding a sign! Too bad if PD doesn't like it. Its a sign. Sorry guys, get up and move. Its her right to hold that sign and she should be commended for the guts to hold that sign. Someone needs to remind the government that the people have real rights, like free speech which includes holding up simple signs, especially if its a sign that annoys the police. Its just how it works. The same First Amendment right that Neo-Nazis have, or the people who hold up those nasty signs at military funerals. "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death, your right to say it" -Voltaire... Especially what anyone has to say about government, the state, or the police. It's one of those rules of how democracy can survive

Let's also not forget that the article states that she saw what she believed to be random people being pulled over. She had no clue what those cops were doing, suppose they were looking for a homicide suspect that was supposed to be coming that way and they were stopping cars looking for the suspect, if that was the case then this twit just alerted the murderer that the cops were up ahead and would allow him the opportunity to turn around and flee the area.

She took this too far and she paid the price for it.

[INIT915 1,119]

Whether or not she has a license or has a beef against PD or any other reason... this woman was holding a sign! Too bad if PD doesn't like it. Its a sign. Sorry guys, get up and move. Its her right to hold that sign and she should be commended for the guts to hold that sign. Someone needs to remind the government that the people have real rights, like free speech which includes holding up simple signs, especially if its a sign that annoys the police. Its just how it works. The same First Amendment right that Neo-Nazis have, or the people who hold up those nasty signs at military funerals. "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death, your right to say it" -Voltaire... Especially what anyone has to say about government, the state, or the police. It's one of those rules of how democracy can survive

I'll grant her the right to hold the sign, go for it. But, all I ask is this. That she never call on the police for assistance. No matter what. She's on her own. You can't have it both ways. Like 10570 said, she was not protesting police brutality or something of that magnitude. She's no Gandhi or Martin Luther King, with some lofty calling. They were simply performing a valid, public safety function. So, all I ask is she never call the police, never complain about their response time, and above all else, NEVER call and complain that people are speeding in her neighborhood, or in her case, through her trailer-park.