The Student Legal Services at Texas Tech University hosts an event dealing with students’ legal rights Thursday, March 6, in the SUB Gathering Pavilion on the first floor atrium across from Barnes & Noble from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This event had originally been scheduled for last month but had to be rescheduled due to inclement weather.
Jeff Hays, an attorney with Student Legal Services at Texas Tech, said students are welcome to stop by for free pizza and information on their rights when dealing with police.
“We feel that it is valuable information that can make a difference,” Hays said.
“It is difficult to assert your rights in a police interaction. It is intimidating, but at least you would know what you could do and what you could say.”
Hays said Student Legal Services is hosting the event so that students know their rights to prevent officers from taking advantage of a situation.
“It is a review for search and seizure,” Hays said.
“We play a cheesy movie and it talks about police stops, when they knock on your apartment door because of a party, what the police can and can’t do, and what rights you can assert in order to protect yourself.”
Dustin Carter, a senior architecture major from San Antonio, said he had an encounter with police officers at a party.
“We were having a Thanksgiving party,” Carter said, “and someone called the police because they had noise complaints. When the cops showed up, they tried to come in the house, so we shut the door. They shoved their foot in the door and they were adamant about coming into the house. Finally, we got them to talk outside.”
Carter said he believes that the police were trying to take advantage of the students at the party.
“It is an invasion of privacy,” Carter said. “They really didn’t have the right to be there other than to tell us to turn down the noise. They were trying to get more out of it than they really needed to.”
He said there are reasons other than the chance to educate yourself on your rights, to attend the event.
“I am always open to learn more,” Carter said, “but the fact that there is going to be free food helps. I mean, I am a college student and free food is always a bonus.”
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