Can police just follow me?

[RiddalinJunkie08]

I was out driving the other night and it was prolly 1:45 AM. I wasn't doing anything illegal, just coming home from my ex-girlfriends house. Well, this cop pulls up behind me and just starts following me. It wasn't like just happening to be on the same road or anything. He followed me for about 2 and a half miles, like I would turn right, he'd turn right. I wasn't trying to lose him or anything, just going home. Just wondering if they are allowed to follow me and wait for me to do something? Would it be considered harassment?
-Mark

[Lumberjack]

If they follow you for over 1 mile then pull you over it can be argued as entrapment.

[SCpoloRicker]

^^ incorrect. I actually have no idea where you got that answer from.

entrapment: In jurisprudence, entrapment is a procedural defense by which a defendant may argue that they should not be held criminally liable for actions which broke the law, because they were induced (or entrapped) by the police to commit said acts. For the defense to be successful, the defendant must demonstrate that the police induced an otherwise unwilling person to commit a crime. However, when a person is predisposed to commit a crime, offering opportunities to commit the crime is not entrapment.

Entrapment is an issue that must be considered in designing sting operations.

Police can follow around all night if they want. Generally, if he wants to pull you over, he will find a reason. Any number of vehicle code reasons, or even just suspicion of DUI/DWI.

If an unmarked pulled up next to you, revved up, and said "lets race," and then pulled you over it might be entrapment, but you ain't pulling that one off in court.

[Will Wood]

entrapment is legal now where I love
well now that definition is posted up it makes no sense.
but like a cop can follow without lights on being all sneaky and stuff, or whatever that is.
I dont know what im talking about... blerh

[SCpoloRicker]

entrapment is legal now where I love
well now that definition is posted up it makes no sense.
but like a cop can follow without lights on being all sneaky and stuff, or whatever that is.
I dont know what im talking about... blerh

No, you do not.

I believe what RiddalinJunkie08 was asking about was;

Can a police officer follow you around, up to an including to your home/destination, without cause? Also, if a violation is cited is served after several minutes of surveilance, is there a way to fight said citation?

The answer is yes, he can follow you as long as he wants

No, you have no legal recourse in terms of "but he was following me for 10 minutes"

and, No he is not harrassing you. If this became a regular event, i.e. you felt he was targeting you specifically by waiting for you, or following you to multiple locatipons, it may constiute harrassment. You would have the burden of proving he is targeting you specifically.

[FragTek]

My local law when I lived in Washington state was that an officer can't follow you for more than a mile w/o a justifiable reason.

[Mango]

Sure, he's just driving like any other person. Nothing wrong with it at all.

[i_baked_cookies]

i hate it when cops tailgate so close..... you know you have to do the speed limit..... and if you speed up then they might pull you over

[dj89]

he can follow you for as long as he wants. he might have been looking to see if you were drunk . they will all so do it if you look like some one on a wanted list.

[WenULiVeUdiE]

You were probably the only car on the road at 1:45 am, what else is he going to do? Maybe he was follwoing you to make sure you werent drunk and didnt do something worth regretting.

[Lohman446]

I was out driving the other night and it was prolly 1:45 AM... ...just coming home from my ex-girlfriends house
-Mark

Skip the rest of it, I want to here the rest of the explanation behind this

[�?�� �m���]

He was escorting you? Discrimination?

[HoppysMag]

think of it this way, its a free country, he can go anywhere he wants, and dont give the cop a reason to pull you over. alot of times they will follow to make sure your not drunk. it may not be legal, but its gunna happen

[RiddalinJunkie08]

Skip the rest of it, I want to here the rest of the explanation behind this

I was over at her house watching a movie with her. Shes my ex now because her friend calls all the shots for her and won't stay out of her life. She made Liz (my g/f) hate me.
-Mark

[HoppysMag]

I was over at her house watching a movie with her. Shes my ex now because her friend calls all the shots for her and won't stay out of her life. She made Liz (my g/f) hate me.
-Mark

sock full of oranges, she wont give you no more problems