So Rick, why did they come to your door?
Hello Michael and Michael, Ha! Well, the answer was never found, as the police failed to show up in court. My attorney told me this though.
Califonia police as well as other states are at the least, routinely in the habit of ignoring and stepping on peoples constitutional rights. Look whats happening because of the terrorist threat. Pretty soon, they will be able to arrest you with no rights whatsoever, and held with out charge. As he explained it, in order to fight it, you loose rights in the process,
AND the police take advantage of the fact that the burden of proof as well as the financial responsibility, falls on the accused. I was arrested, for pissing off the sheriffs as they had no legal recourse to enter my house without a warrant, and I knew it. When power challanged, the usual course of action they pursue is ILLEGAL. I have no idea why they came to my door, but many prior exchanges with the police here have left me with the feelings, memories, and emotional scars as a result. It is no wonder, that unless the police have a court order to even talk to me about anything, I will resist
co-operational dialog with them. THEY are the enemy, not the potential criminal, as THEY are the criminal in my mind. This case was only ONE of many dealing with the local gestapo.
My city, which was incorporated recently, has a police force that has now attained the #1 rating,(last time I looked anyway) for bad cops, which you can find on the net at BADCOP.com. What does that tell you, if people have had to go so far as create a webpage to keep track of the MANY instances of police brutality, illegal arrests, and personal affronts. Let me give you one other example of being overrun by illegal police actions here.
I own a small residential home, and a few years back, a house one block away became available for rent, and as my daughter and son in law were looking to move, I arranged for them to rent it with me as the LEASEE, as I was a homeowner. In exchange for my assuming responsibility for the house, I was allowed to build a shop in
a seperate 2 car garage, as they really had no other use for it. A year later they moved and I rented it to a friend, because the lease was still in my name.
In this city, the "powers that be" decided to create a department called "Neighborhood Enhancement", with their own force of "code enforcement" gestapo, who immediatly set forth to ENFORSE local codes, that were soon created to bring the neighborhood into compiance with "standards" set forth by city powers. It just so happens, the City Council is occupied by three members, who OWN the Largest Shopping mall in our city, and is across the street from City Hall. It is a documented fact, that these members routinely vote to spend taxpayers moneys, to "enhance" their
MALL, and the streets that surround it, which now have resulted in numerous suits brought by citizen leagues and associations.
Our "code enforcement" gestapo, routinely drive around in 4 vehicles, with the responsibility to investigate and enforce "code infractions", and in this pursuit, also routinely disregard peoples civil liberties. Heres what they did to me.
In front of the garage, in the driveway, I had a trailer and another car, which I stored there back against the garage door, for lack of a better place, untill such time as I could sell them. They were currently registered, but since California law states as long as they are on private property, the TAGS do not have to be ON THE LICENSE PLATE. Haveing already run up against the police and neighborhood enhancement officals for these same vehicles ON MY PROPERTY, and given my attitude towards the officials, I am also ROUTINELY harrassed by them. No sooner than the vehicles were parked in the driveway, I was issued tickets for non registration. Ha! SECOND TIME.
First time was on my property. I took time off from work to show City Hall proof of registration.
This time, they claimed that the vehicles, even though REGISTERED, MUST DISPLAY
the tags, or have a NON OP. I went to a CA DMV office, who after explaining the demands of City Code, wrote a letter to my City Hall, demnading to know by what LAW, they could supersede the LAWS OF the STATE OF CALIFORNIA. When presented to the city attorney, he got so mad, he called in three policeman to stand behind me in the lobby, while he THREW the letter at me. What does that tell you? But that wasn't the end to it. It still gets better.
Within 2 days, 2 code "enforcement" officials showed up at the door of my friend, who when asked if I still live there(I never did?????)was then asked if they could come in. Having no reason to say no, he let them in, and was immedietly informed that numerous complaints had been filed by neighbors, whom would by law be held confidential. Ha, you can be accused without recourse to proof. At that point, my friend was told they were going to INSPECT the interior, AND exterior of the house. Since my friend didn't really know the law, and was intemidated by the BRIGHT ORANGE T-shirts with "CODE ENFORCEMENT" written in bold letters on thier chest, he allowed them to inspect, which resulted in 5 misdemeanor infractions, which were the most OBNOXIOUS abuse of power I have ever witnessed. I won't list them because you wouldn't beleive me. They then wrote a letter to the owner, who resulted in having to pay a $250 fine. Needless to say, He as well as I was PISSED! It gets better. While inspecting, these officials proceeded to tell my friend, that I was a known drug dealer
, had a rap sheet a mile long and numerous other accusations which finally pissed my 30 yr friend off, AS HE KNOWS IT WAS UNTRUE, so he asked them to leave. HE is now routinely stopped by the police. As well as ME. 5 times in the last month alone, for NOTHING, AND they searched my vehicle, leaving everything on the ground for me to pick up.
ARRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGAGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!
Sorry for the rant. THIS IS WHY I AM LEAVING THIS STATE FOR GOOD!!!! Think it won't happen to you eventually. Just wait. There are at least 20 suits against the police here right now.
FITZ
Plus, the engineers(I say that with tongue in cheek, since you are a "real" engineer Michael, and no offence to AE's)on mixermans forum, take delight in eating alive newbes
. Some, not so nice. Kind of a AE's comeradere club, but not to my liking. 
Buy a 2" machine!