A car is a public place?
Seen at David’s: An Oregon Appeals Court decision has found that your car is now considered a “public place.”
Some disagreement as to what the court meant in comments as a lawyer type says your car is a container on a public street. But so is my house. Still, I’m of the opinion that my vehicle is private. Oh sure, you can see in it. But it is my personal space.
December 16th, 2008 at 11:13 am
A car is definitely a private space if you read the Fourth Amendment straight up. The Fourth Amendment says the people have the right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures. Of course, if you want to ignore this prohibition against government interference, then a more squirrely reading is necessary. For a brief listing of our government’s squirrely reading of the other amendments so as to violate our rights under color of law, check out this Cato post.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Hmm. Trying to get into that “public place” (which I paid a hefty price for) with the intent of unauthorized personal use, or the removal of other personal effects contained therein, can and WILL get you seriously ventilated by multiple projectiles. Try it and see.