If you live in Massachusetts, don’t labor under the misconception that you own your vehicle, or a boat or plane. Under a bill sponsored by a Democrat legislator, the Commonwealth would forbid you from adding a hidden compartment to secure your private property, such as a handgun, money or other valuables.
Designed as an alleged anti-drug law, the bill would punish those who add a hidden compartment after the vehicle is purchased with a two-year mandatory prison sentence, and five years for subsequent offenses.
Even worse, the law would empower police to seize the vehicle under civil forfeiture law. Lawmakers in support of the House bill claim it’s necessary to prosecute the war on drugs. State police officials have endorsed the bill as needed to discourage drug trafficking.
Learn how the bill lessens the burden of proof on the Commonwealth and effectively guts the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that protects citizens from unlawful searches and seizures. The disturbing details can be found on the next page.NEXT PAGE »
B******t
You’re right Ronald Turner they put that law in under the guise of “it’s for your safety” when in reality it gives them another reason to pull you over and look in your vehicle
good ole commiechussets
Mark Compo
Very true. And they are unjust.
However. Generally if one can prove they can afford such things aside from illegal activity they can stop forfeiture.
Also. There must be a conviction of illegality to take such things.
But again. They are unjust laws.
That’s not right
Just remember, in most States the seatbelt law is STILL a secondary Offense. This means you may NOT be pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt and nothing else, you can ONLY be stopped for an observed PRIMARY Offense.
Land of the free my$#%&!@*.
An old friend used to have…not going to say the year, make or model lest it give someone ideas, but it was built in the early 1970s by one of the “Detroit Big 3”. It had a floor-mounted automatic, bucket seats, and between the seats, behind the shift lever was a raised pane, Sort of an arm rest, not padded. The plate on top was held down by four phillips-head screws.
He got curious one day, took the screws out, took off the plate. Under it was a compartment about 3 inches deep, completely sealed. He set the plate back down and it stayed there by it’s own weight. At the time, he told me, he was dealing weed (bad boy!) to the kids at the high school he had graduated from a couple of years earlier, and he decided to use that compartment as his hidden stash spot. He cut the heads off of the screws and suoer-glued them back into their holes so that it looked like the plate was still screwed down and he was set. He said that on at least three occasions that he knew of people got into his car looking for his stash and NOBODY ever lifted the cover.
So.why is having a hidden compartment a good idea even if you are not up to something illegal or nefarious? Because there are people who raid parked cars. Even if someone sees them and calls 911 the best the police are gonna be able to do is get a description, whatever they took will be gone.
#policestate
This is why the Free State Project is necessary.
http://freestateproject.org