imported post
Nutczak wrote:
Isn't there some recent ruling (in the last decade or two)that the police can run the license plates of a vehicle that is not suspected of a crime just to see if any warrants are out or any other interests.
The reason I ask, Is my GF was stopped by Illinos state patrol on her birthday, and he wrote her a citation for driving with an expired license on the day it was set to expire at midnight. So basically she was still legal when she was cited. I looked for info to see if that was an accepted tactic, and found that the courts say it is? It kinda tweaks my beak a little.
So why the big deal about running a background check on an elected official? Why is he so special that it is not allowed?
The tags belong to the state DMV. Police are allowed to run tags at random to verify they are valid. Some people steal the renewal stickers and use them to extend the duration of their tags. Some people affix tags that belong to other cars. Some people steal tags. Some people steal cars.
So the reason to run the tags has a valid use. Now the registered ownersmay be unlicensed, have an expired license, be suspected, be revoked for DWI, or even have outstanding warrants.
So there is another reason to run the tags.
Keeping in mind... there are a limited number of government employees that are permitted to do this and have access. You are not supposed to run tags of cute girls to see how much they weigh and where the live. Nor are you supposed to run tags of cars in front of the ex-girlfriend or wife's house to see who is calling on her.
So there is no legitimate reason to just run Obama's tags and name unless he is right there in front of you and you can arrest him.
The same rules would apply for a background check... Unless Obama is right in front of you buying a gun... why are you running his name?
I am sure names have been checked and they did not buy a gun... but who would know. But we know Obama is not buying a gun today or it would have been in on the news. So it is easy to conclude the check being performed is not legit.
Same thing for hospital records. There will be staff that needs access to YOUR records or the records or famous people. But there will be staff that want to take a peek and see what the actor is in the hospital and they have no legitimate reason for doing so.
So the access query is done on famous people to see who took a look that would have had no reason. They cannot do this for every patient... there are just far too many. And besides... the information on the rest of usis meaningless to the public anyway. Everyone knows Obama. Nobody knows Jane Stillwater.