Ubsurd Radio Law?

[gatekeep]

I cross-posted this from Batlabs.com... I got an email from a friend whom purchased an MTS2000 off eBay, who was then told by a couple of cops at the local precinct it was illegal (federally) to possess one?

Here's the contents of the email he sent:

I was looking at different laws on radios, and I found out that it is considered a TERRORIST ACT to POSSESS an MTS2000 radio, and the MINIMUM penalty is 50 years to life in federal prison for mere possession of the radio without authorization. I also check, and even if you are volunteer fire, or even a cop, if the radio is not issued to you by your department, YOU MAY NOT HAVE IT. I got rid of my radio since I asked several cops at the 6th Precinct, and they confirmed this law, and the penalties to be correct! I'm just warning you ahead of time since I don't want to see you get arrested.

Whats the literal truth behind this? It must be absurd...

 

[Colin9690]

According to that "law" about 80% of the people on this site are terrorists. :roll:

 

[gatekeep]

I'm under the impression that, even if such a law DOES exist, it pertains to 800mhz trunked systems... But either way my friend was had... The part I love the most is the cops telling him that it was INDEED illegal...

 

[Colin9690]

I'm under the impression that, even if such a law DOES exist, it pertains to 800mhz trunked systems... But either way my friend was had... The part I love the most is the cops telling him that it was INDEED illegal...

I don't know, maybe they are somehow paranoid that he is going to use that radio to illigally transmit on their system. But, if that is the case and if that is really a law, 95% of all amateur radio operators would be on the FBI Most Wanted list for "wanted terrorists" since most amateurs use Motorola radios like what your friend got. I don't know, but either they simply got their laws messed up, or they are extremely paranoid and trying to scare your friend, but that law is BS.

 

[N_Jay]

I cross-posted this from Batlabs.com... I got an email from a friend whom purchased an MTS2000 off eBay, who was then told by a couple of cops at the local precinct it was illegal (federally) to possess one?

Here's the contents of the email he sent:


Whats the literal truth behind this? It must be absurd...

The belief that the law exists is absurd.

I find it funny tthat people can post absolute CRAP with no support and then a whole discussion (on 2 different sites now) breaks out batting the possibilities around.

 

[gatekeep]

Errr .. ya excuse my spelling .. for whatever reason, my brain hasn't been functioning all day ...

Anyway .. I'm not putting support, because I know it doesn't exist ... I was just posting it to get reactions .. So no flaming required ...

And infact I emailed him back telling him of his complete stupidity.

 

[Colin9690]

The belief that the law exists is absurd.

I find it funny tthat people can post absolute CRAP with no support and then a whole discussion (on 2 different sites now) breaks out batting the possibilities around.

I fail to see how he is "posting crap with no support", as you wisely put it.

 

[N_Jay]

I fail to see how he is "posting crap with no support", as you wisely put it.

The CRAP was posted on the other board, and brought over here.

I don't do "batlabs" so I am only assuming it was posted without support.

Sorry if I was misunderstood.


Maybe what I should have said was absurd is thinking it was important enough to post at all.

 

[Declared_Hostile]

Not that I wouldn't doubt such a law could easily be railroaded through given the current predilection for cowardice in the general populace and the corresponding predilection for tyranny by those in positions in power I seriously doubt such a statute exists.

Our aggrieved party should have asked the officers of the state breathlessly reporting his possession of The Tools Of Terror ® to cite the code section of this supposed law and to also indicate how it applied to him. Most likely they couldn't. If they did he should have taken the text to a qualified criminal attorney to see if it was indeed applicable. I would bet it was crap.

Just a case of cops using the law and their power and intimidating someone into rolling over doing something they wanted him to do. In this case it was getting rid of his personal property they evidently didn't want him to have. It's a wonder they just didn't take the radios from him. That or send in a tank and the SWAT team to kick in his door and smash his windows at 4am toss in grenades and rush in with machineguns. They'll use any excuse to roll the stormtroopers.

 

[N_Jay]

. . . . . .
Just a case of cops using the law and their power and intimidating someone into rolling over doing something they wanted him to do. . . .. .

I put my money on:
Pure BS, . . It never happened! Based on the fact he somehow "was looking at different laws on radios, and I found out that it is considered a TERRORIST ACT to POSSESS an MTS2000 radio"

Come on, that does not SMELL like a TROLL to anyone here?:roll:

 

[scannerfreak]

The guy has been here just about as long as you and has 89 posts vs your 5500..I don't think he is trolling..

 

[N_Jay]

The guy has been here just about as long as you and has 89 posts vs your 5500..I don't think he is trolling..

Maybe his "friend" is the troll.

Wouldn't you ask, "Where you found it?" before passing it on?

 

[mancow]

It's just another example of the fact that people really have no idea how thier government functions. :roll:

They key in on one component of a case and assume that's the main reason for everything.

 

[DaveNF2G]

There is no such law. Period. N_Jay is correct in pointing out that we should insist on documentation for these bizarre legal claims. Without a specific citation to a statute, there is no "support" for the posting, regardless of source.

Police officers tend to respond to questions about legality with "no" most of the time. There are many reasons for this, including trying to avoid being liable for another's actions if the police indicate that something is OK and the person goes too far. However, the correct answer, if the officer cannot cite a statute, would be to say, "I don't know. Consult an attorney or research the statutes yourself."

 

[NESN]

Remember these phrases, Our future all comes down to this:

Homeland/National Security
Enviromental Protection

These are the clubs that will be used to beat us and keep us in line, (for our own good and safety, of course) the vehicles we can drive, the toys we can buy, the places we can and can't go, etc......

Lawyers & Insurance Companies rule the world. Ask any elected official....your Mayor can't put a garbage can on Main Street unless the lawyers say it's ok and the Insurance Company says it's an "approved" garbage can.........

 

[N_Jay]

Remember these phrases, Our future all comes down to this:

Homeland/National Security
Enviromental Protection

These are the clubs that will be used to beat us and keep us in line, (for our own good and safety, of course) the vehicles we can drive, the toys we can buy, the places we can and can't go, etc......

Lawyers & Insurance Companies rule the world. Ask any elected official....your Mayor can't put a garbage can on Main Street unless the lawyers say it's ok and the Insurance Company says it's an "approved" garbage can.........

And this has what to do with the thread?

 

[elk2370bruce]

As Dave Stark can attest, the body of law in any state constitutes an entire wall of a library and about 95 percent of police actions relate to less than 5% of written law. Sounds to me that a law that cites a single and specific make and model of radio as illegal would not be within the knowledge base of your average smokey, or even your above average Barrister. Further, any such hare-brained legislation or it even exists, (but I doubt it) is totally farcial and far-fetched. (But so was the law leading to the Scopes Monkey Trial) Even our elected legislators are not that short-sighted or dumb ( Well, in most cases anyway). In such nteractions, as described in the original post above, our gullibility is assumed and we often fall right into that trap. Caveat emptor.

 

[NESN]

If in fact there is such an absurd law, the Feds are outlawing your right to buy,own, possess a certain radio cloaked under the guise of "National Security"

Even if you intend to "use" it lawfully and not "misuse" it illegally.

 

[kf4lne]

 

[gatekeep]

I have no idea why N_Jay has the need to flame (and I'm not accusing you), but, at any rate I wanted to see what different people's response's to my friends TROLLING stupidity on two-way radios was.

He emailed me back to day (here is a small excerpt):

t's not a load of crap. I spent 4 hours at the 6th precinct talking to several officers (including a seargent, and a radio tech for their precinct) about the radios. They all told me the same thing, "No matter what frequency range the radio is capable of it has the ability/potential to transmit on gov't/police/fire/EMS, and is therefore considered a terrorist act to possess one." They also told me that since I'm a nice kid, they are going to let me destroy my own radio instead of get arrested in the Precinct lobby.

I frankly told him, that if such a law did exist, he would be in jail right now. I'm just stating, that it goes to show peoples stupidity when it comes to radios.... As I (was) going to post on Batlabs, if the cross-post was unnecessary, feel free to lock the topic, I just wanted to get peoples opinions on this to show him that the law didn't exist (as he blindly believes ANYTHING a PO seems to tell him).