Can I Be A Texas State Corrections Officer With Felony Arrest Not Conviction And An Army General

Why is impersonating a police officer a felony but impersonating military personnel carries no penalty?

The SCOTUS decided in 2012 that the so-called Stolen Valor Act was unconstitutional. In the decision of United States v. Alvarez, Alvarez's conviction for misrepresenting himself as a former Marine and recipient of the Medal of Honor was vacated, although Alvarez remained in prison for other charges, mostly relating to fraud. There are a lot of military veterans in prison. I would not have wanted to be Alvarez. In 2013. President Obama signed into law the Stolen Valor Act of 2013, making it a federal crime to obtain money or other benefits by falsely representing prior military service or awards. Merely claiming the service or awards is still not a crime. There are still many instances of people misrepresenting themselves as veterans or active duty service members, often with comic errors. In this recent episode, a man attended a funeral service in what he thought was the uniform of a highly decorated Army sergeant major (note to those unfamiliar with military ranks: sergeant major--master chief petty officer in the Navy and Coast Guard-- is the most senior enlisted rank, seldom obtained without many years of service. Sergeants major tend to be highly competent individuals and would never set up a uniform the way this poser did). Unfortunately for him, he committed several uniform faux pas, such as wearing commissioned officer collar brass, wearing ribbons and medals simultaneously (you wear one or the other, not both), and having the ribbons in the wrong order. He was doubly unfortunate to encounter several Marines who knew what the uniform was supposed to look like.Military service members have no authority over civilians in the way that police officers do. They can't arrest or detain people, so there isn't anything to gain by impersonating a service member unless it's part of a greater scheme of fraud to obtain money or services. In the Alvarez case, the SCOTUS said this was a First Amendment issue. Thus, you can't criminally charge someone for wearing a military uniform they haven't earned, although you are free to mock and vilify them as the Marines in the video did.Edit: everywhere I know, simple impersonation of a law enforcement officer is a misdemeanor, not a felony. Thanks, Kieth Moreland.Another edit: I am now informed that it is a felony to impersonate a police officer in Kentucky. Thanks, Shawn Herron.

I have a warrant for my arrest in Texas. I don't plan on ever going back to Texas. Can they still get me in California?

Texas would have to want you for something way more serious than an unpaid traffic fine to extradite you from California. Extraditions are expensive. It's salary, plane fare, ground transportation, hotel, and meals for two cops both ways and one prisoner for the trip back. There is no sense to doing that to get a fine of a few hundred bucks, at most. This doesn't mean that you are free and clear so long as you stay out of Texas. If you try and obtain a drivers license in California or most other states, they will probably check for suspensions in other states, and a traffic warrant usually also suspends your license. A background check for a new job could reveal the warrant. Some local courts report unpaid fines to credit agencies, damaging your credit report. There are all sorts of loose ends associated with arrest warrants, and one of them is likely to trip you up. Arrest warrants are valid until served or recalled. Some courts put an expiration date on warrants, but just as many do not. I once served an arrest warrant that had been sitting in file over ten years. It stemmed from a citation issued by an animal control officer for allowing a dog to run free, without a leash. Arrest warrants are court orders to any peace officer with jurisdiction and capability to serve the warrant. If the officer was to refuse to serve the warrant, he could be held in contempt of court. While it may be personally satisfying to flip the figurative bird at the Texas court that imposed the fine or the police agency that gave you the ticket, the arm of the law is long, and has a way of reaching out and touching you sooner or later.

What are the chances of a first time felony offender going to jail?

It is going to depend on a number of things: the type of crime, the way in which the crime was committed, the circumstances of the crime, and the offender's past criminal history. Let's say you broke into someone's home and stole over $250 worth of their belongings (that makes it a felony).  If you did it because a bully said he would hurt your mother if you didn't get him the stuff is a more compelling reason than if you did it to get money to buy more video games for yourself and some good weed.  If this was your 3rd time getting caught doing this type of thing, that ups your chances at serving time.  If you broke into someone's home and found there were some kids in it with a babysitter and you terrorized everyone, that's not going to go well in court. So you see your intentions and your actions, along with your past criminal history, will be the deciding factor on whether the judge sees jail in your future.  You get points on a sentencing sheet for all these different things.  Rack up so many points and it's off to the slammer for you.   A sentence of under a year is served in the county jail.  A sentence of over a year is served in a state prison.  Generally.  Every state has their own rules, but that's the way it usually goes.  Some crimes have a jail sentence no matter what.  Gun laws in Massachusetts for example have an automatic, no getting out of it, jail sentence if the crime was committed with a gun. First time offenders that committed a non violent crime and have no past criminal history will most likely get a suspended sentence, probation and fines.  Suspended means you don't have to serve the jail time as long as you do your probation and pay the fines.  If you screw up, you will be put in jail to serve the original sentence.

What are some slang terms used among police officers?

The most derogatory terms for the bad guys and citizens who are just pains in the rectum:A.H. = Adam Henry (A-dam H-enry) If you don’t get it…..sometimes you will hear it as “Jack Hole”…..now what starts with an “A” that ends with HOLE ?RICHARD CRANIUM= What starts with a “D” and is a nickname for Richard ? What is the non-medical layman’s term for the Cranium ? Do these clues HEAD you in the right direction ?