How to Flex Your Rights During Police Encounters

"Officer Friendly" interrogates a suspect (circa 2002)

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What information does Flex Your Rights (FYR) collect?
FYR collects and uses personal information to provide individuals with news and information regarding FYR. In addition, we use personal information (e.g. e-mail address, city, and state) to keep e-mail subscribers up-to-date on the latest news and information we think they'd like to hear about.

We do not collect personal information from our visitors other than what is supplied to us on a voluntary basis.

How will FYR use the information I provide?
We will always explain the extent of its use at the time you are asked to provide personal information. If you do not want this information to be collected or used by us for these purposes, you can simply “opt out”. Under certain circumstances, opting out may prevent your participation in activities for which personal information is needed, such as subscription to our e-mail news list.

Does FYR rent, share, sell or trade my information?
FYR does not rent, share, sell or trade supporter e-mail addresses and telephone numbers. In addition, we do not rent, share, sell or trade information about what activities or donations supporters have undertaken on our website.

Protecting your privacy is important to us. We are committed to keeping your personal information confidential.

What information does Flex Your Rights (FYR) collect?
FYR collects and uses personal information to provide individuals with news and information regarding FYR. In addition, we use personal information (e.g. e-mail address, city, and state) to keep e-mail subscribers up-to-date on the latest news and information we think they'd like to hear about.

We do not collect personal information from our visitors other than what is supplied to us on a voluntary basis.

How will FYR use the information I provide?
We will always explain the extent of its use at the time you are asked to provide personal information. If you do not want this information to be collected or used by us for these purposes, you can simply “opt out”. Under certain circumstances, opting out may prevent your participation in activities for which personal information is needed, such as subscription to our e-mail news list.

Protecting your privacy is important to us. We are committed to keeping your personal information confidential.

What information does Flex Your Rights (FYR) collect?
FYR collects and uses personal information to provide individuals with news and information regarding FYR. In addition, we use personal information (e.g. e-mail address, city, and state) to keep e-mail subscribers up-to-date on the latest news and information we think they'd like to hear about.

We do not collect personal information from our visitors other than what is supplied to us on a voluntary basis.

How will FYR use the information I provide?
We will always explain the extent of its use at the time you are asked to provide personal information. If you do not want this information to be collected or used by us for these purposes, you can simply “opt out”. Under certain circumstances, opting out may prevent your participation in activities for which personal information is needed, such as subscription to our e-mail news list.

Ira Glasser

Mr. Glasser is President of the Drug Policy Alliance Board of Directors. Previously, he served as Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union from 1978 until 2001.

Prior to his affiliation with the ACLU, Mr. Glasser was a mathematician and a member of the science and mathematics faculties of Queens college and Sarah Lawrence College. He was also editor of Current magazine.

Mr. Glasser authored a book, Visions of Liberty: The Bill of Rights for All Americans, published in November 1991 by Arcade Publishing, Inc. in New York City. An insightful analysis of how our rights developed, Visions was written to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Bill of Rights.

In addition to authoring Visions, Mr. Glasser is a widely published essayist on civil liberties principles and issues whose writings have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Village Voice, Harper's, The New Republic, The Nation, and Christianity and Crisis, among other publications. He is also the co-author of Doing Good: The Limits of Benevolence, published by Pantheon in 1978.

Stanford "Neill" Franklin

Neill Franklin, a 32-year law enforcement veteran, retired from the Maryland State Police in 1999. During his time on the force he held the position of commander for the Education and Training Division and the Bureau of Drug and Criminal Enforcement. Major Franklin instituted and oversaw the very first Domestic Violence Investigative Units for the Maryland State Police. After 23 years of dedicated service to the Maryland State Police, he was recruited in 2000 by the Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department to reconstruct and command Baltimore’s Education and Training Section.

Steven Silverman, Executive Director

Steven Silverman is the founder and executive director of Flex Your Rights (FYR). He is also the writer and executive producer of FYR's original video, Busted: The Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters.

He was previously a campus organizer for the campaign to repeal the Higher Education Act's aid-elimination penalty. The law blocks financial aid to low-income students reporting drug convictions. As part of his work, Silverman prompted students to describe the details of the police stops and searches leading to their minor drug arrests. A disturbing pattern emerged, and various legal and law enforcement experts confirmed his conclusion: The vast majority of people are mystified by the basic rules of search and seizure and due process of law. Consequentially, they're likely to be tricked or intimidated by police into waiving their constitutional rights.

Rubin Whitmore II

Rubin Whitmore II believes in the pursuit of happiness.

Rubin has been invited to lecture on music videos, filmmaking and society at universities from Clark Atlanta University to North Carolina Central University, from his alma mater the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh to Savannah College of Art & Design. He is a veteran filmmaker with close to one hundred film projects, ranging from documentaries to music videos. Rubin has amassed over fifteen gold, platinum and multi-platinum plaques for producing and directing music videos. He was recently nominated for the Rockefeller Foundation and Ford Foundation funded 2008 Media Arts Fellowship program through the Renew Media organization.

Jon Katz

Jon Katz is a criminal defense lawyer for clients accused of felonies and misdemeanors in the state and federal courts in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. He has been defending in criminal courts since 1991, and is frequently sought by the news media for legal commentary.  Jon frequently blogs about such topics as reducing exposure to arrests and convictions, and defending the Constitution, at http://katzjustice.com/Underdog. Jon is Super Lawyers-listed,  Top Lawyers-listed by Washingtonian Magazine, and 10.0-ranked on AVVO.com. He graduated from George Washigton University Law School, and Tufts University for his B.A. He attended the Trial Lawyers College and National Criminal Defense College's Trial Practice Institute.

Norm Stamper

Norm Stamper, Ph.D., was a police officer for 34 years. He served as chief of the Seattle Police Department from 1994 to 2000. In his 28 years with SDPD Norm rose quickly through the ranks and as a deputy chief served in each of the agency's bureaus. He also served as Executive Director of Mayor Pete Wilson's Crime Control Commission for three years. Norm received numerous awards and citations during his career in San Diego, including the Diogenes Award of the Public Relations Society of America for his leadership in the wake of the Rodney King incident and the subsequent Simi Valley trial verdicts.

As Seattle's police chief, Norm led a process of major organizational restructuring, creating new bureaus of Professional Responsibility, Community Policing, and Family and Youth Protection. Within months his agency had formed one of the country's best responses to domestic violence.