‘Know Your Rights” held at Langston University with police, attorneys

Special to Guthrie News Page

With so much negative interaction between citizens and police officers being reported almost daily, the Beta Phi Zeta and Lambda Alpha Chapters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. decided to “Get Engaged.” On Saturday February 20, the members of this sorority invited law officials and legal representatives to conduct an ‘Interactive Talk’ with students of Langston University and residents of Langston City.

The audience was treated to a review of information, advice and answers from two policemen and two Attorneys. The four gentlemen volunteered their time to improve citizens’ understanding of their legal rights and responsibilities when interacting with law enforcement. Even more important was the desire of both teams of speakers to prevent avoidable, ugly, costly and possibly physically abusive incidents between police and members of the audience. Remember, if you are even in doubt about your legal rights, in any circumstance, or you have involved in an incident, then you should always contact a legal representative such as The Law Offices of Hilda Sibrian. It is best to seek legal counsel before taking any further action.

Two members of the Langston University Campus Police Department entered the discussion ring first. The Campus Officers began their presentation with an admonition that students, and other citizens as well, should resist the temptation of judging and ‘bad mouthing’ all policemen based on the few bad cops seen on the news. Additionally, the officers indicated that they welcomed dialog with the people that they have sworn to protect. A clearly defined jurisdiction of the area of responsibility for the LU police was given – as well as the information that LU officers have the right and responsibility to serve as law enforcement officers as back-up or in emergency situations outside of the campus jurisdiction.

The LU Police Officers acknowledged that the simplest incidents can easily turn negative when students are ‘under the influence’ or are misinformed about police procedures. Many of the questions from the students dealt with administrative procedures such as parking violations, speeding on campus, and a

recent rash of thefts on campus. The Officers acknowledged that some matters such as poorly designated parking areas and inconsistent closure of entrances and recreation areas such as the Langston Lake were matters that students should raise with the campus officials. Unfortunately, the officers were called away from the discussion to respond to an emergency on campus. Their parting admonishment was that the audience members should feel free to stop by the LU Campus Police Office and continue this dialogue, and that they should encourage their friends, roommates and classmates to do the same.

Two Oklahoma City-based attorneys were the special guests for the afternoon. Founder of Minority Report Law Firm, Attorney Lorenzo Azar Banks and Attorney Cody Gilbert, Founder of Gilbert Law Firm picked up the mantle of the Interactive Talk. Their copious lessons in the reality of law ranged from the bases of citizens’ rights to the inherent error of “listening to your cousin”. Having presented the gift of a pocket size copy of the US Constitution to every participant, the discussion initially focused on the Bill of Rights with emphasis on the 4th and 5th Amendments. The Attorneys covered the purpose of laws, Federal vs. State laws, traffic stops, police searching of vehicles and homes (including student dorm rooms and student apartments), rights of students on campus, and so much more.

The basic advice throughout the legal representatives’ presentation was for students to conform to the Police Officers’ requests/orders when stopped or confronted, noting that legal actions for abuse or misconduct by the offending officer(s) can best be handled after the encounter/arrest. Officers have the right to search vehicles if there is probable cause or if the owner of the vehicle consents to the search. It was noted that the majority of arrests for college students is for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or possession of illegal substances. Students were reminded that their homes could not be searched by police without a warrant, but the contract between the University and the student most likely allowed university personnel to enter university property without warrants or notice, under certain circumstances. The audience was also informed that they did not have to open their home or step outside of their domain because a policeman requests them to do so.

The “Know Your Rights” session was so informative and important that Beta Phi Zeta Chapter President Curtisia Battle has confirmed that the Sorority will host another session in the near future. Attorneys Cody and Banks are so committed to helping prevent negative police/citizen encounters that they have agreed to return to Langston University to conduct another session at no charge. For future sessions, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority will invite Oklahoma Highway Patrol representatives along with Langston City and Guthrie Police representatives. The best efforts to improve police/citizen relations and to ensure protection of citizens’ rights is for more citizens, law enforcement officers and legal representatives to “Get Engaged” together, to make meaningful changes.