People usually have their first encounter with law enforcement when they are of college age. Students might be unsure as to what to do when they are stopped by police, whether they are getting pulled over while driving, are over the legal blood alcohol limit, or for other violations.
Most Americans would immediately say they know they have Miranda rights. This commonly known collection of protective phrases like, "You have the right to remain silent," or "You have the right to an attorney," has been branded on the brains of Americans by police television shows and government classes.
Now the Supreme Court is working on whether a person should be required to identify himself or herself when dealing with law enforcement.
The case started when police received a complaint that Larry "Dudley" Hiibel, 59, was arguing with his daughter in a pickup truck parked off the road, according to the Associated Press.
The officer asked Hiibel for his identification 11 times and he refused, the AP said. The AP said Hiibel cooperated with the officer as he was handcuffed. He was charged with resisting arrest.
The right to remain silent includes the right to refuse identification. If the Supreme Court were to rule that refusing identification is illegal, America might see a snowball effect of taking away citizens' rights.
If the police can, by law, demand identification, it opens the door to other actions they can demand -- actions that might violate search and seizure and protection from self-incrimination rights.
This does not mean that citizens should feel free to defy the law because they might be able to refuse identification. It means the people that choose to do so should be ready to face consequences.
The AP said the justices are researching a 1968 case in which the court ruled that people can be detained for a short period for reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing.
This means the police can detain people shortly to get more information, whether people identify themselves or not.
Refusing to provide information to police might seem uncooperative, but people should be able to do it.
However, if you refuse to introduce yourself, don't expect an officer to act like your best friend.
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