According to the American Civil Liberties Union, police abuse continues to be a major civil rights problem in the United States, particularly against the poor and disenfranchised.
Today's conservative courts generally support broad police powers at the expense of individual civil rights.
Santa Rosa and Sonoma County law enforcement are no exception. Illegal stops and arrests happen here, and police statements and "advice" are often misleading.
State Bar of California, What Should I Know if I am Arrested?
Sonoma County ACLU, Your Rights and the Police, and Police Accountability
California ACLU, Know Your Rights when Encountering Law Enforcement
National Lawyers Guild, Know Your Rights! Pamphlet, and Know Your Rights Manual
Midnight Special Law Collective, Dealing with Police
For more videos like these shown here, visit FlexYourRights.org.
Also view the additional pages in this Know Your Rights section of Jake's website, Bust Card, which offers generalized considerations for DUI stops, and Excessive Force & Police Abuse, which discusses local efforts to address police abuse, lists all available police agency complaint forms, and provides a continuing source of national police misconduct news stories.
In addition, on this site Jake lists internet links for a wide array of civil rights organizations, as well as every Santa Rosa and Sonoma County law enforcement agency. Click on Resources and scroll down under the column heading "Agencies & Organizations."
Note any publication dates on the above materials and understand that laws change, and in addition your circumstances may require different considerations. None of this information is legal advice because it isn't individually directed or tailored to you; always consult with a lawyer about your unique situation.
"Don't Talk to the Cops"
"10 Rules for Dealing with Police"
"The Right Way to Handle a Police Stop"