Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mmintl.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!franka From: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams) Newsgroups: net.legal Subject: Re: Radar Detector Legislation Message-ID: <598@mmintl.UUCP> Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 20:13:12 EDT Article-I.D.: mmintl.598 Posted: Wed Aug 14 20:13:12 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 06:19:12 EDT References: <1081@homxa.UUCP> Reply-To: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams) Organization: Multimate International, E. Hartford, CT Lines: 25 Summary: Using a radar gun is not a search In article <1081@homxa.UUCP> gritz@homxa.UUCP (R.SHARPLES) writes: > Radar guns should be unconstiutional but the case has never made it to the > Supreme Court. Radar guns are electronic surveillance devices that the > police use at random on citizens who are driving motor vehicles. Most > motorists obey the speed limit (more than half), a few speed (less than > half, the %s don't matter). However, the police indiscriminately use > electronic surveillance devices to sample the speed of all cars. They then > apprehend the drivers who are exceeding the limit. A radar detector is the > citizen's only defense against this invasion of privacy (unwarranted search > and seizure). Not to mention the fact that the police radar signal is a > publicly broadcasted radio signal which, according to the FCC, can be picked > up by anyone. A search is the invasion of your privacy. Radar guns only measure the speed of your vehicle. Since your vehicle is moving in public, its speed is public, not private. Therefore it is perfectly legitimate to use radar guns to measure your speed. There is nothing inherently wrong with *electronic* surveillance devices. Planting an electronic listening device or hiding and eavesdropping are equally odious. Since the police can estimate your speed by looking at you, they can use an electronic device for the same purpose. In either case, if you are exceeding the speed limit by more than the margin of error for the measurement technique, you can be convicted of speeding.