Posted by Orin Kerr:
KopBusters Reality Show:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_12_07-2008_12_13.shtml#1228779171
[1]RawStory has an interesting post on what apparently is a new
reality show, [2]KopBusters (website presently down). As I understand
it, the idea behind the show is to give police officers an opportunity
to engage in misconduct: If an officer takes the bait, the show films
the officer engaging in the misconduct and creates a show about it.
The current post on [3]RawStory describes part of the first show:
KopBusters rented a house in Odessa, Texas and began growing two
small Christmas trees under a grow light similar to those used for
growing marijuana. When faced with a suspected marijuana grow, the
police usually use illegal FLIR cameras and/or lie on the search
warrant affidavit claiming they have probable cause to raid the
house. Instead of conducting a proper investigation which usually
leads to no probable cause, the Kops lie on the affidavit claiming
a confidential informant saw the plants and/or the police could
smell marijuana coming from the suspected house.
The trap was set and less than 24 hours later, the Odessa
narcotics unit raided the house only to find KopBuster's attorney
waiting under a system of complex gadgetry and spy cameras that
streamed online to the KopBuster's secret mobile office nearby.
The attorney was handcuffed and later released when eleven
KopBuster detectives arrived with the media in tow to question the
illegal raid. The police refused to give KopBusters the search
warrant affidavit which is suspected to contain the lies regarding
the probable cause.
H/t: [4]FourthAmendment.com
References
1.
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Raw_footage_from_KopBusters_first_sting_1207.html
2. http://www.kopbusters.com/
3.
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Raw_footage_from_KopBusters_first_sting_1207.html
4.
http://fourthamendment.com/blog/index.php?blog=1&title=kopbusters_com_catches_illegal_police_ra&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
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