Un-reasonable Suspicion

[squirrel]

I would be interested in some varied opinions on this subject.
How many warrantless home searches would you guys be subjected to before it began to piss you off a bit.
I'm talking about wardens specifically not police. No ticket is ever written.
No probable cause, possibly reasonable suspicion but only because it is so vague as to be anything they say it to be.


Assuming that there is a number for everyone, be it 1 or 100, what would be that number and when it is reached what would be the proper thing to do about it??

I.e. When the chief of police burgles your business, whatcha gonna do...call the cops?
(and yes that actually happened)

 

[kansasdad]

If you suspect local police shenanigans, stepping up to the county sheriff (assuming he/she isn't a Boss Hogg type) or state bureau of investigation, or even FBI involvement if you don't trust any state law folks.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Need my Squirrel translator.

 

[whiskeydog]

Zero...no one will search my home without a warrant.

 

[Dave N]

Sounds like someone is having an "issue".

 

[noharleyyet]

When the chief of police burgles your business

That's pretty specific.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Game wardens don't need warrants, just probable cause, and that includes confiscating vehicles, guns, and meat. Sounds like somebody needa a lawyer......and soon.

 

[npaden]

I would think a couple times would be plenty, especially if it supposedly relating to the same issue.

After 3 or 4 times I would be looking into due process to keep from being harassed. A lot of times it can be handled just by going to the direct supervisor up the food chain.

 

[Gr8bawana]

First of all I seriously doubt wardens would be anywhere multiple times for no reason. They must suspect
illegal things to be going on or someone tipping them off about illegal stuff.
Like the old saying, "usually where there's smoke there is a fire."

 

[squirrel]

Read it carefully there guys (except for Dink, if needed I can send you a pm on what you should do)...

No ticket written, (mostly cause no law was broken)

You walk into your garage cause your dog barked and there is a truck in the driveway and DOW is shoulder deep in your freezer..." I know you had a tag and I heard you got one and am here to check your freezer for the meat" I see no "probable cause" here. I see no reasonable suspicion but because of its vagueness I would guess that if you have a license for any season they can just wander on into the house and check out the master bedroom???

My question is how many times do they get to check out the blow-up doll carefully and discreetly tucked into the corner before you call BS?

These are completely unrelated incidents in this guys' case, each one caused by an event but with no crime being committed (else there WOULD have been a ticket, you can bet on that!)

Going up the food chain would be problematic as one search was by the regional Mgr.

Thanks for the replies, I'm sure there will be a wide variety from the "if you've got nothing to hide let them in" crowd to the other extreme.

 

[Oak]

Going up the food chain would be problematic as one search was by the regional Mgr.

Are you sure you have the title right? There are only 4 RM in the state, and I know them all fairly well. I wouldn't expect any of them to show up and conduct a search themselves.

 

[tjones]

Fall can't get here soon enough.

 

[HighDesertSage]

Read it carefully there guys (except for Dink, if needed I can send you a pm on what you should do)...

No ticket written, (mostly cause no law was broken)

You walk into your garage cause your dog barked and there is a truck in the driveway and DOW is shoulder deep in your freezer..." I know you had a tag and I heard you got one and am here to check your freezer for the meat" I see no "probable cause" here. I see no reasonable suspicion but because of its vagueness I would guess that if you have a license for any season they can just wander on into the house and check out the master bedroom???

My question is how many times do they get to check out the blow-up doll carefully and discreetly tucked into the corner before you call BS?

These are completely unrelated incidents in this guys' case, each one caused by an event but with no crime being committed (else there WOULD have been a ticket, you can bet on that!)

Going up the food chain would be problematic as one search was by the regional Mgr.

Thanks for the replies, I'm sure there will be a wide variety from the "if you've got nothing to hide let them in" crowd to the other extreme.

Are you in CO?

 

[squirrel]

Yes it occurred in CO, I will verify the regional title, at the time it may have been "area" Mgr, I might be confused on the proper chain of command title. If it was it was unintentional on my part... bottom line is it went to the top, locally speaking.

great bwana, I am absolutely aware of your position (they are god's special people and they are doing the lord's work, even if they are wrong they are still right because their hearts are pure) I emphatically reject your position personally but am aware ( excruciatingly so) of your view's pervasiveness.

 

[JWP58]

If you were serious, or had any intent beyond complaining on a forum, you would've been wise to have already obtained proper legal counsel(which probably would've advised against you're op).

I would keep any such issues to yourself until the issue has either been dealt with by the dept of which you believe has wronged you, or has been handled by your attorney.

Or you could just take it to a forum and see how that goes......

 

[HighDesertSage]

Yes it occurred in CO, I will verify the regional title, at the time it may have been "area" Mgr, I might be confused on the proper chain of command title. If it was it was unintentional on my part... bottom line is it went to the top, locally speaking.

great bwana, I am absolutely aware of your position (they are god's special people and they are doing the lord's work, even if they are wrong they are still right because their hearts are pure) I emphatically reject your position personally but am aware ( excruciatingly so) of your view's pervasiveness.

Where exactly in Colorado?

 

[Oak]

Yes it occurred in CO, I will verify the regional title, at the time it may have been "area" Mgr, I might be confused on the proper chain of command title. If it was it was unintentional on my part... bottom line is it went to the top, locally speaking.

Most likely Area Manager. There are many of those, ie, Hot Sulphur, Steamboat, Meeker, Glenwood, etc.

 

[Dan O]

Instead of consulting the forum without disclosing the entire issue maybe you should consult a lawyer. Remember anything you say can be used against you. Maybe you should make use of the 5th.
Dan

 

[Nunyacreek]

Not in Montana

Well just another reason to live in Montana. As far as I'm aware with a couple small exceptions game wardens are subject to the exact same search and seizure laws as anyone else. Those exceptions are that they can ask to see fishing or hunting license when you are engaged in that activity without a reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing, or check game visible in your pickup or on your horse or whatever, and that you are required to stop and participate in game check stations.
These two exceptions seem reasonable to me. I rather doubt most wardens would bother to perform illegal searches because any evidence obtained would be in admissible anyway.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Well just another reason to live in Montana. As far as I'm aware with a couple small exceptions game wardens are subject to the exact same search and seizure laws as anyone else. Those exceptions are that they can ask to see fishing or hunting license when you are engaged in that activity without a reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing, or check game visible in your pickup or on your horse or whatever, and that you are required to stop and participate in game check stations.
These two exceptions seem reasonable to me. I rather doubt most wardens would bother to perform illegal searches because any evidence obtained would be in admissible anyway.

I'm sure there is a lot more to this story than Squirrel is telling us.