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A comment on DHS to Launch Nationwide License Plate Reader Program. Parent comment

Re:DHS to Launch Nationwide License Plate Reader Program by msandford on Tuesday April 07, 2015 @01:21PM (#9335568)
It's not illegal for me to happen to walk down the street behind you for a couple of blocks; we both happen to be going in the same direction. Same for cars.

What happens if I make the same 20 turns as you, though, at the same intersections, right behind you? At first it was a coincidence, but after a certain number of turns, it's probably not.

What if I did this every day for a year? You could probably get a restraining order against me for stalking. But for two turns one day last year? Definitely not.

The outward behavior is exactly the same, I just happened to be following behind you (that's what I'll argue). Why should the courts treat a couple of blocks any differently than many miles for many days?

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Re:DHS to Launch Nationwide License Plate Reader Program by devnul3 on Tuesday April 07, 2015 @10:03PM (#9338412)
I've heard the "occasionally is nothing, repeatedly is stalking" argument on here repeatedly and (ianal but I know some) this is inaccurate. There are two requirements for a charge of stalking: willfully and repeatedly, and criminal intent.[0] In other words, I can follow you all i want as long as I'm not trying to be stealthy, or I can be as stealthy as I want as long as I don't follow you repeatedly.

[0] http://koehlerlaw.net/assault-theft/stalking/

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