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Congress just passed, and Trump signed, a law that makes all properties adjacent to the rail system operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Constitution free zones.
From TFA on zerohedge.com:
"In performing its duties, the Commission, through its Board or designated employees or agents, may: Enter upon the WMATA Rail System and, upon reasonable notice and a finding by the chief executive officer that a need exists, upon any lands, waters, and premises adjacent to the WMATA Rail System, including, without limitation, property owned or occupied by the federal government, for the purpose of making inspections, investigations, examinations, and testing as the Commission may deem necessary to carry out the purposes of this MSC Compact, and such entry shall not be deemed a trespass."
As we all know, the standard in the 4th Amendment is a particularized warrant based on probable cause, "reasonable notice and need" as determined by the cops (i.e. agency chief), is not the same thing at all.
We already have constitution free zones within 100 100 miles of any border, and this provides a convenient framework to do a similar thing along any rail line (or road) so the Feds can liberate the center of the country from any form of Constitutional protection. Anyway ... the 4th Amendment is already dead at this point, but its piecemeal demise should provide a useful education for those clamoring for the demise of the 1st.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday August 28 2017, @09:07AM (1 child)
Those checkpoints? YMMV, but it sorta kinda appears that my letters to my state representatives put a stop to checkpoints in my area. I'll recount that story again here:
My company moved it's operations from one town, to another town in an adjacent county. That meant that I have to drive in not just two, but three counties, to get to work each day. It didn't take long before I was stopped at a checkpoint, then another, then another. The frequency was shaping up to be about every 45 days, I could expect to be stopped by highwaymen, armed with weapons, demanding that I explain what the hell I was doing out and about.
I wrote to both of my representatives. The male never responded. The female sent back a polite letter, telling me that she would "look into" the matter.
It's been more than two years, and I've not been stopped again.
My letters may or may not have caused the roadblocks to end, but you can be sure of one thing: if you never object to the roadblocks, they will continue.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Monday August 28 2017, @09:10AM
Oh, wait - I have to make a partial retraction. I WAS stopped, about two months ago. A prisoner escape resulted in a manhunt. The difference betweeen this manhunt, and all other checkpoints was, a cop greeted me, "Good evening, Sir, we're looking for an escaped prisoner. Two seconds and you can be on your way." He shined a light in my car, asked if anyone were in the trunk, and waved me on. THAT was a reasonable roadblock, IMHO, and I didn't resent being stopped.