Courts Make Smart Decisions

For 10 years the Connecticut hunter harassment bill has been at work. In one case, defendants harassed a hunter on state land. They were convicted but appealed, stating that they had a right to free speech "because state land is a public forum open to the public for expressive activities." The courts found that "these lands are not traditionally used for purposes of assembly or discussion of public questions." The legal jargon was much more detailed, but the essence is that in Connecticut, it is illegal to harass hunters.

In Idaho a man who had in his possession a 13-point rack of an illegally killed elk was arrested for possession of parts of wildlife in violation of Idaho Code. The owner of the elk rack argued that the 2-year statute of limitations had passed since the animal was shot. The court, however, ruled that as long as he still possessed the illegal parts, he was still committing the crime. "The statute of limitations does not begin to run until he ceases possession," the court stated. Interesting case.

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