The North Dakota House of Representatives today spent more than twenty minutes of floor time debating a bill which would have outlawed DUI checkpoints. It was a remarkable debate despite the loss of the bill. Remarkable because it put on display a libertarian-minded faction of state House which has grown over the years. The lawmakers…
Bill To Ban DUI Checkpoints Fails In The House 34-59
A bill to ban the use of DUI checkpoints in North Dakota failed in the House today, and the manner in which it failed was pretty frustrating. The House Judiciary Committee gave the bill a “do not pass” recommendation, and Rep. Diane Larson (R-Bismarck) carried the committee’s criticisms to the floor. “If even one drunk…
Is Your Privacy A Privilege While Driving On Public Roads?
The headline question seems like a no-brainer, right? Of course you don’t lose your privacy rights just because you’re driving on a public road. Problem is, I don’t think law enforcement and the courts see it that way. [mks_pullquote align=”right” width=”300″ size=”18″ bg_color=”#000000″ txt_color=”#ffffff”]”Driving on public roads may be a privilege, but is your privacy…
Law Enforcement Should Prove That DUI Checkpoints Work
North Dakota’s legislature is considering HB1084 which, if passed, would make it illegal for law enforcement to “halt an operator of a vehicle solely to determine compliance” with traffic laws. I first wrote about this bill a month ago, but now law enforcement officials are weighing in and – surprise! – they don’t like it.…
North Dakota Law Would Get Rid Of DUI Checkpoints
DUI checkpoints, which have officers stopping all motorists in a given area in order to verify their compliance with DUI laws, have been upheld as legal by the Supreme Court in Michigan Dept. of State Police v. Sitz. SCOTUS found that the infringement upon the 4th amendment protections from unreasonable search and seizure were negligible, and trumped…