We all know that there are cops looking to "sting" people, and facebook makes it way too easy.

I noticed THIS STORY a few days ago, and thought it was interesting.

Then yesterday, a cute chick I didnt know added me on facebook. It was a new profile, had limited information and few photos. I grew curious, so I messaged her (no response), and Googled her name.

Results:
-No email response
-Google found no results for: Wendy Ronson Santa Fe, Wendy Ronson New Mexico, Wendy Ronson NMSU.
-NMSU Phone directory had NO ONE under the last name of Ronson.

I started asking "mutual friends" whether they _actually_ knew this "person." No one has responded in the affirmative.


Conclusion? This person is almost DEFINITELY a cop, trying to spy on people, bust parties, find photos of underage kids drinking, etc.

Be careful out there, guys. Hot chicks can get you in trouble, especially when they're middle aged men cops.

 

Anita Dunn added me to facebook. She was located in the D.C. area.

 

I am sure there are many people online pretending to be someone else.
It is better to just be an honest person and you won't have to worry about getting caught doing something you shouldn't have. If you are an underage drinker it is best not to hang out with friends that take your picture.

 

I'm not underage, nor do I have photos of me doing anything illegal. I'm just disturbed by cops invading privacy by pretending to be someone else, then arresting someone for (less than allegedly) doing something illegal (which doesnt mean the act, even if illegal, is wrong).

 

So which laws are the undercover officers breaking?

 

Easy solution is don't add someone if you don't know them. I deny request from people like that all the time. Heck, I deny request from people I do know. If we're not really friends, then I see no reason to add you as a "friend". Facebook is starting to get like myspace now to where everyone trys to get a high friend count, so you'll get invites from people you barely know, or my biggest annoyance is requests from people I work with, but rarely talk to.
Doesn't really matter about friends anyway, unless you have your privacy set real high, b/c if you're in a group, all the people in that group can view your profile, and see your pics. And anybody can pretty much join any group.

 

I think it could be argued that they are invading privacy by misrepresenting themselves. They are looking at stuff they wrongfully gain access to. Similar to cops looking at stuff via FLIR.

Now if the cop has a warrant, look all you want. That'd how FLIR is used re: pot growing operations. But searching (and because that is the sole purpose of the cop-account) w/out a warrant is illegal.

 

I don't think legally any since Facebook is a public website, and posting pictures, and the content of those pictures is your choice. It's pretty low, but I think they are in the clear.
Now if they were hacking into accounts, then I think that would be a different story.

 

Once again, this is police taking things too far. At KSU, we now have undercover police who roam the tailgates, only looking for underage drinkers. If youre of age, they call the uniform cops to come make you pour out all of your beer. If your underage, they write you an MIP on the spot, then call the uniform cops to make your tailgate pour out the beer.

 

That's not cops taking it too far. That's kids taking it too far. Kids shouldn't drink underage. That's some poor parenting.

 

 

curious as to how these charges stand up in court.

how does one prove drunkeness solely froma picture with no blood-alcohol testing? How does one prove that the liquid in the bottle is indeed alcohol?

all a teenager has to say is "it was apple juice and we were just pretending"

"We werent drinking we were wrestling when the picture was taken"

"I threw up on the sidewalk because I had the flu"


I cant see any judge siding with the police based on such flimsy evidence.

 

"underage" is an arbitrary designation. Further, drinking underage is not wrong, just illegal, and one does not imply the other.


J150, yeah. The cops are betting the kids just pay the fine. If the kid fights it, there is no real proof of underage drinking.

 

You're skirting the meaning of the word like the cops you're accusing of skirting the law. Way to go!

Drinking underage is wrong and illegal, since it is against the law.

 

Meaning of which word? Underage is an arbitrary designation. Illegal isn't necessarily wrong.