15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love that I live in a country where Barry Cooper's right to produce and distribute this video is protected, January 21, 2008
Narcotics officer Barry Cooper racked up over 800 felony and misdemeanor narcotic arrests, taking in millions in cash and assets for his departments in Texas, before turning in his badge and speaking out against the War on Drugs. Cooper saw the ineffectiveness and hypocrisy of the War on Drugs from the inside, even as he was the top cop in the state for drug busts. After arresting the both mayor's son and a councilman for drug possession, Cooper came under political pressure with further convinced him of the failure of the system. He retired from the force and became a target for nuisance arrests, so he's speaking back with Never Get Busted Again, a tell-all instructional video to "keep you from going to jail for an unjustified law that is already being broken daily by millions of non-violent citizens."
In his opening address, Cooper states that 42% of Americans have tried marijuana in their lives, and he does not believe that 42% of the country deserves to be in jail, so our laws on cannabis are not working. This reviewer heard about Cooper's DVD on National Public Radio (NPR), of all places, in a piece in which Cooper eloquently stated his position for the reform of marijuana laws. I'm a fan of COPS and any true crime show, so I figured, how much more real does it get?
His DVD is both a powerful social commentary and a practical instruction video. He breaks down the search and seizure laws, explaining what "probable cause" and "reasonable suspicion" mean in terms of a traffic stop. He even busts the myth that you should always refuse consent to search - cops do use the invocation of 4th amendment rights against you, even though they shouldn't. He discusses what does and doesn't mask odor and reveals the science and methodology behind canine search dogs.
Cooper says, "My main motivation in all of this is to teach Americans their civil liberties and what drives me in this is injustice and unfairness in our system." I always recommend that my friends be a card-carrying members of the ACLU, and now I'm going to add on a recommendation to view Cooper's passionate and practical video about the need for radical change in our national drug policy.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rebuttal to previous review by Herb Hunter, December 2, 2007
Full Disclosure - we are the distributer of Barry Cooper's Never Get Busted. This review is Barry's own words in response to the review by Herb Hunter. Barry wanted to clear some things up that were stated in Herb's review.
"Unfortunately not all police officers operate with the same mission that Cooper had when he was a counter drug cop."
Didn't you mean "fortunately?"
"He focused primarily on a stretch of highway known for drug trafficking and developed profiles that might not raise red flags with other police agencies in other situations and neighborhoods."
In the "Profiling" section of my film, I take the viewer to a stretch of highway known for drug trafficking and I also take the viewer into a small town, Big Sandy, TX and share how city cops profiled. There is a difference and I explained that in the DVD.
"...and how futile it is to try to conceal dope from the law."
Not sure what you mean here. I certainly expose the tricks cops use to break the 4th amendment but then teach how to fool drug dogs and where to hide your stash. It is never "futile" to learn how to fool the cops so you can get home safely.
"I didn't really see the benefit to caving in and allowing for an officer to search the car under any circumstances, as he suggested earlier in the video."
The benefit is staying out of jail. Because cops do not respect the 4th amendment, if a person refused consent, 10 other officers show up with 10 more cops and cause the dog to false alert so they can search. In comparison, if you give permission and you stash is well hidden, the officer is likely to check the glovebox and trunk and let you go. I know this because this is what I did. Jeff Steinberg (defense attorney for 40 years, nothing but drug cases and on the board of NORML and Bobby Mims (East Texas attorney of 30 years and has tried 15 capital cases) agrees my advice is sound. It sounds backwards but makes sense. There are times to refuse consent as well. I am going to edit the DVD in time to share when this is a good idea. I wish I would have shown the other side in the first edit. Sorry 'bout that!
"The problem here is that there is NO SUCH DOCTRINE allowing for a "plain feel" of the inside of an automobile. Plain feel applies to people, not cars."
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY WRONG. I am glad you are a law graduate but please make sure you give proper information regarding the law. The following is a quote I took from Jon Katz, a famous criminal defense attorney:
"Under Michigan v. Long, the driver and passenger areas of a car are subject to a Terry frisk where the police have reasonable and articulable suspicion to believe that weapons are contained therein. However, a cop's claim that s/he conducted a Terry frisk does not automatically make the frisk legal; that is a question for a suppression court judge, who must determine whether the frisk was made pursuant to reasonable and articulable suspicion that weapons are contained in the area frisked, and that the area is the lawful subject of a Terry frisk to begin with."
"...if he feels what seems to be contraband (he knows what a crack rock feels like through a pants pocket, etc.) then the "plain feel" doctrine lets him expand upon that initial pat down search and investigate the contraband."
This is not true either. If this were true, a cop could go into your pocket for carrying around a piece of gravel! Terry Frisks or "plain feels" are designed to protect the officer from weapons. So far, hundreds of attorneys have poured over the DVD and you are the only one saying it is legally incorrect. There have been attorneys who challenge my advice on the consent issue but none have pointed out errors in the law I explain. I appreciate your interest and effort though!
Regards,
Barry N. Cooper
CEO/NeverGetBusted
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lifesaver...., October 31, 2007
As the saying goes, "If only I knew long ago what I know now" ...
I've made so many mistakes that this DVD could have saved me from. I lost my driving license for a year because of having cannabis in my car. Boy, the number of wrong things I've done while driving, and been caught or managed to be lucky and NOT get caught... I certainly feel blessed, but I could have avoided losing my license and getting DUI's on my record had I watched this DVD first. I can't wait to see what the other volumes of Never Get Busted will share.
This information is truly valuable and clearly aimed at helping people stay out of trouble with the law and jail. As a former top drug cop in Texas, Barry's advice is helpful because he's BEEN there, he's aware of how the other side works. It offers an insider look at police mentality so we understand how cops twist the law, and incite fear to violate our rights. There are precautions that every smart smoker should take to stay out of jail, and this DVD explains them well.
In my opinion, Barry has more credibility than many of his anti-prohibition counterparts/critics because he's been there. He knows how everything works firsthand.
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