BoatBanter.com - View Single Post - State Police Claims They Can Board Without Probable Cause

In article , (Chuck Baier) wrote:
Paul, That is exactly what these agencies count on. Chuck

Possibly, but unless one could sue individual government agents for violating
one's rights there is no disincentive for them to continue. Your avoidance of
a fine costs the agent who violated your rights nothing.

(Paul Revere) wrote in message
news:SYThc.43832$bl.29899@okepread03...
In article ,
wrote:
On 20 Apr 2004 13:14:11 GMT, (Capt Lou) wrote
(with possible editing):

Massachusetts State Police (known as the Environmental Police on the water)
claim they can board any vessel without probable cause because they have
been
"deputized" as federal agents by U.S. Customs. Does anyone know anything
about
this?

IANAL, but my limited understanding of the law is that if you are
boarded illegally and a ticket results, any lawyer can defeat it in
court by simply proving the search was illegal and that the officer
lacked probable cause to board you in the first place. If there's a
lawyer around, perhaps he can confirm that.

If itt costs you time in court and a lawyer's fee instead of a fine, is that
an improvement?