Why Do Cops Always Say 'Honesty Goes a Long Way' When They're About to Search Your Car?
I've been watching a bunch of body cam footage lately. A cop pulls someone over, gets them out of the car, and then tries to get them to admit what they have inside.
I always hear them say things like "A little bit of stolen goods ain't no big deal, man, if you're straight with me I'll be straight with you," or "I'm not looking for a stolen item, brother, honesty goes a long way."
It makes me wonder what the point is. They are practically going to tear the car apart anyway. It seems pointless if the person says "Yeah, I've got a stolen phone in there."
And I talked with some friends. One of them said for a cop, having probable cause to search is good, but having consent to search is way better. A defense lawyer can poke holes in probable cause all day long, but they can't really argue with consent if you gave it.
Plus, if a driver says "There's a stolen laptop in the trunk," that's a confession. It proves that the laptop belonged to them and wasn't just left there by accident by somebody else. A case where they find evidence is a good case. A case where the person told them exactly where to find it is a great case.
#Police #Law #LegalAdvice #Curiosity #Honesty #TrafficLaws
