My question involves civil rights in the State of: California. I was stopped at a license/sobriety checkpoint. I had not been drinking. Unfortunately, my Driver's License is being held up due to a problem in MASS that I will be taking care of in two weeks. For the record, there is no substance to the MASS issue and should be a simple administrative dismissal. The California DMV will NOT issue a document that gives me any status on the license, they simply won't send me my renewal. They even instructed me to just tell Law Enforcement it was "pending" if picked up. Good advice DMV. At the checkpoint, the police gave me no opening for explanation and also despite my asking 3 times if my friend could drive the car home, sent it to impound. I should also say that the officers were about to wave me forward but he looked in the passenger seat and saw my friend who is Mexican (I am white). I have a huge philosophical problem with what cities are doing with these checkpoints and want to sue anyone and everyone I can to make a point. Also, the Officer wouldn't even look at the documentation I had to support the DMV issue. Is there any help out there? I at least want my impound fees back. I have read enough to know that this was absolutely illegal. The evidence I have includes: a letter to the DMV sent by certified mail, My MASS Driving record, proof of payment for my DL renewal that was accepted, and a reservation by air to MASS. Is there no place for reason in law enforcement?

