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From: leichter@yale-com.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Protection against B&E - (nf)
Message-ID: <1681@yale-com.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 29-Jun-83 10:38:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: yale-com.1681
Posted: Wed Jun 29 10:38:35 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 29-Jun-83 19:27:37 EDT
Lines: 34

There are, indeed, all sorts off laws against using booby traps.  It is ALWAYS
illegal to use deadly force in a booby trap, for example; the blasting caps
in a CB are probably right on the hairy edge.  For non-deadly force, things
get more complex; but the basic trend in the law over the past 50 years, at
least, is that human beings are more important than property.  (Yes, there
are all sorts of contradictions here; these are the same courts that sometimes
seem to hold that real estate is more important than just about anything else.)

An indication of the complexity:  Guard dogs, which are often QUITE deadly, no
matter how well-trained, are considered a legitimate method of guarding your
property.  Why?  Well, our legal system is based on precedent and guard dogs
have been a legitimate method of guarding property for a thousand years....

There have been specific laws written extending your rights to protect yourself.
California, after a celebrated case a couple of years bac,
\\\back, passed a law explicitly granting you the right to use even deadly
force to protect yourself or your property within your own home.  (The courts
had held that even in your own home, you could only use deadly force if the
person you were defending yourself against used deadly force.)  I don't know
the exact limits of that law, or what other states have passed similar laws.
However, I'm pretty sure that it would NOT allow the use of deadly booby-traps.

At a guess, razor blades as washers would probably be ok, since (a) they would
not pose much danger to anyone not actually intent on trying to steal your
radio (e.g. a kid who was playing around in your car because you forgot to
lock it isn't going to get cut up); and (b) while nasty, the danger the blades
pose is pretty limited.  If you set up a device to cut someone's hand off, you'd
have a whole other story.

BTW, if you do this be DAMNED sure to warn anyone you give the car for repairs!
If you don't, and they injure themselves, they probably have a strong case
against you.
							-- Jerry
				decvax!yale-comix!leichter leichter@yale