You commit three felonies a day

Re:You commit three felonies a day by bmelton on Tuesday June 11, 2013 @09:35AM (#5861626)

You're probably guilty of having violated the Lacey Act (16 USC §3370-3378) at some point in your life.

    It is unlawful for any person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, 
    possess, or purchase any fish, wildlife, or plant taken, possessed, transported, or 
    sold in violation of any Federal, State, foreign, or Indian tribal law, treaty, or 
    regulation.

What's interesting is that, under the Lacey Act, if possession of a given substance is illegal anywhere (even in another country whose laws we do not respect), then you are guilty of it. For example, if you've ever held a piece of ivory, and ivory harvesting is illegal in Madagascar, then you have violated the Lacey Act. If you've ever eaten a small lobster that was perfectly legal where you ate it, but would have violated fishing code in Maine for being too small, you've violated the Lacey Act.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:You commit three felonies a day by tptacek on Tuesday June 11, 2013 @10:19AM (#5861878)

Not being a strict liability crime, violations of the Lacey act would need to be committed knowingly.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:You commit three felonies a day by grecy on Tuesday June 11, 2013 @02:18PM (#5863692)

I would have to think that anyone wearing clothes made from an exotic or endangered animal knows they are breaking the law from some other country...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:You commit three felonies a day by bmelton on Tuesday June 11, 2013 @10:25AM (#5861910)

Rereading it now, I see that you are correct. For some reason or another, I originally read it to mean that only the civil forfeiture provisions were strict liability.

Thank you for the correction.

[ Parent | on HN ]