Is "These aren't my pants!" a regional thing, a geographical thing, a cultural thing?

[Aidokea]

I'm thinking back, and I heard it most often while working a gang-infested part of Portland in the '90s.

And I'm not talking about pulling over four $#!+birds cruising a neighborhood they don't belong in at three in the morning, nobody wants to claim the bag sitting in between them all, and so everyone in the car gets arrested for the contents- I'm specifically talking about patting someone down, finding dope, and then having them immediately default to the "These aren't my pants!" defense.

Do offenders still make a habit of doing that? Is it only in certain parts of the country? Is it only in certain parts of town?

It always struck me as hilarious, as if we're supposed to believe that someone snuck up on them while they weren't looking, and put pants containing dope on them without their knowledge.

[Dinosaur32]

We would get, at least once a month, the story that the defendant grabbed the wrong pair of pants when dope was found in his pocket as he entered the courtroom. It was a common occurrence and the mutts truly did have a set of “court clothes”. They just didn’t always remember to wear them. This was in NYC.

[Aidokea]

We would get, at least once a month, the story that the defendant grabbed the wrong pair of pants when dope was found in his pocket as he entered the courtroom. It was a common occurrence and the mutts truly did have a set of “court clothes”. They just didn’t always remember to wear them. This was in NYC.

When?

And what part of NYC?

[BNWS]

It was a very common claim in Brooklyn.

[angeredmgmt]

That defense, to me, is relatively new, and I don't remember it while I was on the job. Also, I literally don't care whose pants they are because they are in the care, custody and control of those pants which includes everything in or on them. If the DA's don't want to prosecute, then at least I fed the system...and got my self initiated arrest stat to boot!

[westside popo]

I've heard it down here but it's been a while. The last time someone said it they were wearing 2 pairs of pants and the drugs were in the inner pair.

Allegedly he found a pair of pants walking down the street so he strips down, puts a stranger's pants on then puts his pants on over them.

[tanksoldier]

I have heard a female inmate claim the meth found in her jail purse wasn't hers... and this was a transfer from another jail.

...in the rural Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Specifically about pants, I think I've heard that once but I don't remember the details.

[Officer.Hightower]

It's still used in the law-abiding city of San Bernardino. All this time, I've believed these jokers....

[Dinosaur32]

Aidokea.....This was in Manhattan, in the NYC Special Narcotics Courts. We covered drug cases from throughout the city.

[Dinosaur32]

Double post.

[Bing_Oh]

I've heard it quite a few times...not every day, but enough not to be surprised by it. I'm in the Midwest.

[angeredmgmt]

A couple of the questions I asked during traffic stops and checking subjects were "Are you aware of everything in your vehicle/on your person?" and "Are you willing to take responsibility for anything illegal I may find during a search of your vehicle/person?" Oh, the hilarity that ensued after those questions!

[CCCSD]

“These are my Aunties pants”.

[CAHokie]

Yeah, gang members in the early to mid 2000’s in LA used to say that commonly. Not for sure if it is still a thing.