On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 20:02:14 GMT, 223rem > wrote:

>I was doing 80 on the Indiana toll road (speed limit 65 mph)
>when I noticed a cop car ahead and slowed down to its speed of
>about 70 mph.
>
>Well, I soon noticed that the cop car had IL plates. Thinking
>that he cant pull me over, I passed the cop car (on the left)
>and was soon back to 80 mph. Was I right, or just lucky?


Generally cops are certified by the state and have authority
statewide. But by policy they would almost never exercise it outside
the jurisdiction that hired them. Exceptions would be if in pursuit
(and even that usually requires clearance from a supervisor), or if
they were to see a serious felony being committed. Even that would be
iffy since NO cop is under any requirement to do much of anything for
anyone per court rulings and when they are outside their hiring
jurisdiction they won't be clued into the right paperwork, the court
schedules, etc, plus if they get sucked into the case they would have
to spend time outside their normal area which the place that hired
them might not be too keen on. We have a few areas in Arizona where
the highway is in Arizona but not actually accessible without leaving
the state. That also means if you patrol the logical parts of it then
part of the time you are in a different state. So the Highway patrol
officers assigned to that area have been "deputized" in not only
Arizona but also in the neighboring states so they can have full
police authority anywhere on the route, not just on the Arizona
section.
--
Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts:

"What, sir, is the use of militia? It is to prevent the
establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. . .
Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of
the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order
to raise a standing army upon its ruins." -- Debate, U.S. House
of Representatives, August 17, 1789