MONTECITO, CA—Heather Locklear was apparently spotted by a tabloid magazine snitch looking for a way to sell photographs and video.
TMZ.com has posted a 911 call that may have been designed to simply bring police to Locklear and her car for investigation of DUI when there was no basis for such a call.
The caller knew for sure that pictures of Locklear doing, “Simon Sez”, or the routine field sobriety test with the police would have cash value even without an arrest. The investigation would also bring a flurry of questions from an officer. Questions like,”are you taking any medication?“ top the list.
Most Americans are unaware they do not have to answer any questions, or cooperate with police by following requests to submit to their examinations and field sobriety testing. Drivers must agree to breathalyzer and in some jurisdictions blood testing or face the loss of their driver's license. Those tests don’t happen until after an officer actually makes a DUI arrest.
Most DUI arrests can be avoided by simply remaining silent, asking for a lawyer and not performing those embarrassing dance maneuvers for police. The problem for real drunks is they can't remember to follow such advice when they are under the influence.
Heather Locklear had a real problem to deal with that the average driver will never face. The total embarrassment and career killing exposure that even an innocent police stop would bring to her had to have a giant impact.
That kind of pressure brought on by simple stone cold fear would cause anyone to appear to be under the influence. The influence of real fear would also mimic impairment.
Most people don’t know that you can be arrested for being under the influence of any number of prescribed medicines. In a police stop that impairment diagnoses is not made by a physician but a cop with some limited training. Taking most medicines as directed does not cause sufficient impalement to justify an arrest.
This arrest of Locklear has a really foul odor to it since it was brought on by apparent financial greed. The CHP officer apparently allowed a 911 caller’s information to influence the scope and direction of what transpired. I hope Locklear’s lawyer Blair Berk gets her life back for her soon.
See what TMZ published here.
Comments
The cops are into enforcing the law not social counseling and the main purpose is advancing their career with arrests and convictions.
That is why, citizens are always screaming, 'Where is a cop when you need him'?
Lawyers routinely give advice not to talk to or cooperate with police. Criminal lawyers have gone to the trouble of printing up that advice on the business cards they hand out. This information about rights is not some secret the public is not supposed to know about. To the contrary its part of every school children’s required lesson plan in America.
These are the very rights we have redundantly gone to war over.
The DUI symptoms and signs you talk about exist in alcohol related impairment. Drug influence evaluation is a lot more difficult.
A woman’s eyes are different from men’s. Eye makeup, the emotional response of tears can cause observers to suspect impairment when there is none.
Heather Locklear’s case will stand or fall based on the laboratory results of the contents of her bodily fluids.
Every police officer in America takes an oath to support, defend and protect the Constitution of the United States of America, as well as their own state.
We have to stand to protect freedom as well as citizens from each other. It’s too often we place enforcement over freedom. Striking the balance is the art of fighting crime in a free society. Nobody said that was easy.
Tell that to the Chicago PD officers who enforce Mayor Daley's gun control, even in the face of the recent Heller decision.
Gun arrests are WAY down from prior years.