A U.S. Supreme Court decision that came down Monday upheld a Nevada judgment, stating individuals who refuse to give their names to police can be arrested, even if they have done nothing wrong.

Michigan was not one of about 20 states with similar statutes to the Nevada one that sparked the 5-4 Supreme Court decision, but local officials say although they now have the right to carry out the court's policy, students still have nothing to worry about.

"It's not going to change our procedures," MSU police Lt. Penny Fischer said.

"It's easier to know who we're dealing with, but we have to weigh that against the constitutional right of an individual."

Civil rights groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union said they were disappointed with the ruling.

"I disagree with the court's decision," said Henry Silverman, the Lansing branch ACLU vice-president.

"I don't see why police should demand that a person reveal their name, unless they have suspicion or probable cause that the person is involved in a crime."

Silverman, who is also a MSU professor of history emeritus, said the ruling might have been influenced by national safety concerns which produced documents such as the USA PATRIOT Act.

"I think the courts historically try to help police do their job. It's not as if we're trying to undermine police, we're just trying to protect citizens' rights, and when the two come in conflict, that's a problem for a democratic system," Silverman said.

The Supreme Court decision involved a man who refused to give police in rural Nevada his identity 11 times for one infraction.

The Humboldt County deputy approached the man, Larry "Dudley" Hiibel, in his truck after the sheriff's department had received a call of a domestic dispute.

Hiibel was arrested, fined $250 and charged with "willfully resisting, delaying, or obstructing a public officer in discharging or attempting or discharge any legal duty of his office," according to the Supreme Court decision.

East Lansing is no stranger to such cases, as a similar one produced five years of judicial actions.

In 1997, Benjamin Travis Risbridger was arrested after refusing to give an East Lansing police officer his name.

Risbridger was pointed out by a witness as being involved in a fight police were in the process of investigating.

In 2002, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the ruling a lower court made, dismissing the misdemeanor charge of obstructing police against Risbridger.

Students such as Will Davis, who will be transferring from Lansing Community College to MSU in the spring, were upset by the ruling.

"It's ridiculous that another law will be passed to take away more freedoms and more rights," Davis said.

East Lansing police Capt. Juli Liebler said because of the Risbridger decision, police aren't pursuing individuals who aren't identifying themselves.

"We'll have to wait for direction from a decision from the county prosecutor's office (in response to the ruling)," Liebler said.

Ingham County Chief Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III and Chief Assistant Prosecutor Joyce Draganchuk were unavailable for comment.

Staff writer Sarah Al-Ramadhan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.