Bonnie Jonas-Boggioni, 65, and her husband were driving home to Plano, Texas, when they were pulled over under suspicion of being drug mules. The elderly couple would not seem to fit a profile for a cartel member, but the Tennessee police felt that they had made a critical mistake in their drug conspiracy. Their car had a picture of a marijuana leaf — apparently a common marking for drug mules. It turned out to be a Buckeye leaf decal. After being detained, the police reportedly told the Ohio State football fans that they needed to be more careful in the future and take off the decal. It appears to be the view of the Tennessee police that a picture of something looking like pot is enough for reasonable suspicion.
The couple was actually returning from Columbus and a funeral when a pair of black police SUV’s stopped them and officers with body armor surrounded the car. With the couple’s two schnauzers barking, Jonas-Boggioni was told to get out of the car. Jonas-Boggioni was immediately asked “What are you doing with a marijuana sticker on your bumper?” After explaining that it was a Ohio State sticker, they were told that they should remove the sticker to avoid further trouble with the police.
The problem however was not a lack of botany training for Tennessee police but a lack of police training. The entire car could be painted celebrating marijuana and showing pictures from Reefer Madness but it would not create a basis for reasonable suspicion. Indeed, it is absurd to believe that a drug courier would advertise in this manner.
The police were reportedly part of a joint drug enforcement effort that day. Many have objected that our anti-drug campaigns have become a type of perpetual enforcement machine that demands greater numbers of stops and roadblocks. This stop is on one level funny but on another level chilling. It shows an arbitrary attitude of police in the “war on drugs” and a complete lack of understanding of basic legal rules and constitutional protections.
Tennessee police must also think that the drug cartels have their own college football team whenever Ohio State plays on national television:
Source: Yahoo
“Yes, because drug traffickers often put symbols of the drug on their cars. I mean, who wouldn’t!?”
That’s so they can find their car in the mall parking lot. Dontuknow!
Ha, those officers were in the pay of UM Wolverines.
Recruiting Police from the bottom wrung of society must stop! We need smarter cops………..
Idiots
I wonder how many actual drug mules drove past them whilst they were detainings these innocents?
I always figured that them Buckeyes was pot heads. When a buck looks you right in the eyes and does not run then you know he is high on something. That is why hunters are not allowed to use floodlights and blind them while they shoot em. If ya shoot em while they are Buckeyed, its cheating. Of course in Tennessee they are allowed to shoot em at night with floodlights.
This story has gotten some play over at Americablog ( http://americablog.com/2013/02/buckeye-bumper-stick-police-marijuana.html ), where the heavy thinking wonders whether this is an example of Tennesee-cum-Tenessee-state-patrol idiocy and biases, or simply run of the mill could-be-anywhere in the great US of A idiocy and bias.
Myself, I lean toward both/and . . .
I will check to be sure, but I think the Constitution is still in effect, though poorly functioning, as of this morning. Anyone got the number for whoever is in charge of boilerplate responses?
The couple is lucky those Barney Fifes didn’t shoot their dogs.
Reblogged this on Randy C White.
Attorney: Officer Hillbilly, on the issue of probable cause to stop my client, will you now explain to the judge your work-related experience and training in the recognition and detection of marijuana?
Officer Hillbilly: Well, I stopped a couple of old timers running drugs out on HIghway 40 because I noticed their Ohio State Buckeye decal had a marijuana leaf on it.
Judge: Thank you, Officer. You may stand down. Case dismissed.
Mike S.,
it doesn’t remind me of a Cheech and Chong movie. It reminds me of Super Troopers!!
I know a lot of Americans are completely ignorant of what goes on outside the US’s borders. But I didn’t know so many were ignorant of what goes on outside their own state’s borders.
Google marijuana leaf and you will see that the Ohio State image looks nothing like a marijuana leaf, except that they’re both green. You would think that LE professionals would know that? Secondly, just how much did this stop cost in monetary terms and to what ends. Is lurking on a highway waiting for “drug mules” really a productive police procedure? Third of course is that the idea of “drug mules identifying themselves with a “code” picture is infantile. The idea is too look as inconspicuous as possible, drive within the speed limit and not get stopped. Finally, as JT clearly states citizens have every right to put decals on their car without being stopped. If one remembers the old Cheech and Chong movies this seems to be a plot-line, with the twist that the police are behaving like the stoners.
Wow. These officers must have too much time on their hands if they are stopping people for their decals! Maybe this couple was within the 100 miles constitution free zone along the border or shorelines!
Isn’t the correct answer to, “What are you doing with a marijuana sticker on your bumper?” a simple, “Utilizing my first amendment right”?
Yes, because drug traffickers often put symbols of the drug on their cars. I mean, who wouldn’t!?
Of course, the greatest fear of legalization is running the risk people, including cops, might actually calm the f*ck down for five minutes. Sleep, not fights, break out among high people. That will be just terrible for the prison industrial complex, dontcha kno. Hard to terrorize people who are in no mood for it.
Overpaid LEO’s desperate to justify their employment. The fault was quite obviously with the reckless elderly couple practically demanding to be pulled over and investigated by the team of highly trained, fully motivated law enforcement officers performing their duties in a wholly professional and cost effective manner.
As we use to say in the deep South when State Troopers stop a vehicle with out of state tags ” You ain’t from around here are you boy”.
“Their car had a picture of a marijuana leaf — apparently a common marking for drug mules.”
LOL!
This took place just east of Memphis on Interstate 40.
I hope their supervisors give the officers a little sit down counseling and perhaps some more training.