Legal Tip Of The Day

[fu_manchu12]

In most cases, the sign 'Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted' is legally incorrect.

This does not, however, mean that I recommend trespassing on to someone else's land in order to inform them of this fact.

Comments

[shrokk]

Me usually takes "prosecuted" ta mean "riddled full of buckshot". It jus safer dat way...
*shudders*

[ieya]

Ah, the classic 'Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be prosecuted*' option?

*optionally, 'shot again'.

[christopher00]

Surely true in England, where I understand gun use is looked down upon in the same category as pedophelia or cheating at cricket.

But we across the atlantic luvs us our guns, and we've got a legal loophole. While you can't use deadly force to protect property (no spring gun traps), you can use it to defend life. So if you shoot a trespasser, you say it was because you were... in fear for your life. No harm, no foul.

[dyddgu]

Here, we are apparently allowed to "pre-emptively strike" if we are in fear of our life, but aren't allowed to have weapons &c to do this. So it favours the female (I am more likely to get away with saying I'm in fear of my life than my martial arts instructor Boyfriend), but I'm also less likely to be able to achieve anything useful by it, because men *tend* to be stronger. Go figure.

NB I really really really dislike guns, this is just me personally, but I can see how it might, er, equalise things (as Mr. Colt said) if I had such a thing to fend off rapists/muggers &c.)

[dyddgu]

(oh, fu_manchu12, the above I got from a Martial arts manual, which may be a few years out of date, so feel free to correct me. I *think* I'm still allowed to thump someone if they lay hands on me first, though. Just to make them let go, like)

[fu_manchu12]

This has all rather got away from me. I was originally intending to make a very dry and unimpressive legal point (that trespass is a civil wrong and prosecution only applicable for criminal offences) but unfortunately everyone else has a great deal more imagination and has taken the point into more practical ground where I durst not wander - at least, not yet.

[neonchameleon]

In other news, studies into the religion of the Pope and into defecating habits of bears published today.

I prefer

[pizzagodavatar]

"Enter at Own Risk" therefore leaving them with nothinh to hold onto..though if you then add " Trepassers will be used for mulch on my new Tomato plants"...I think maybe that goes too far..legal wise..unsure?

PGA