Are Citizen’s Arrests a Real Thing? Citizen’s arrests were once comedic fodder for television programs like The Andy Griffith Show. However, the real-world consequences of an alleged “citizen’s arrest” are far from a laughing matter. In Georgia, at the time of this writing, three men are facing murder charges in the shooting death of another man in a citizen’s arrest gone wrong. The defendants allege that they were executing a “citizen’s arrest” against the other man since they thought he resembled a burglary suspect. After chasing him down in their truck, they claim they then shot the suspect in self-defense.
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When Are You Required to Give the Police Your Name and Identification?
A Matter of Rights and Responsibilities By the time most of us receive our driver’s licenses, we have been drilled on what to do when a police officer pulls us over. This includes providing our license and registration. But the question remains: does Massachusetts law require you to give your name and identification documents to the police upon request? What if you are a passenger in a car? What if you are walking down the street when an officer asks who you are? Massachusetts law leans towards protecting the right of persons to remain silent and to maintain their privacy,
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