FW: "Scannist" arrested

[jim bell <jimbell@pacifier.com>]

If there is any residual doubt as to why I'm proposing an "extreme" solution 
to government, "Assassination Politics," I think the following is just 
another good reason to do so.  I contend that people like that cop and the 
judge would be FAR more careful in how they do their job if they were aware 
they might be angering well over a half a million hams.  This kind of abuse 
will happen as long as there is no mechanism to prevent it.

> ----------
>From: owner-scan-l
>To: Multiple recipients of list SCAN-L
>Subject: "Scannist" arrested
>Date: Sunday, May 26, 1996 1:47PM
>
>Two sad things:
>
>1) Cops in some parts of Kentucky can't tell a scanner
>when they see one (or don't see one, in this case), and
>
>2) the radio in question IS INCPABLE OF BEING MODIFIED TO
>RECEIVE OUT OF BAND!!!!  Sheesh.
>
>Peter
>
>Excerpted from:
>
>The ARRL Letter
>Electronic Update
>May 24, 1996
>
><...>
>
>
>TEEN HAM ARRESTED ON SCANNER CHARGES
>
>Greg Godsey, KF4BDY, a 16-year-old ham from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, was
>arrested May 11 by local police who charged him with carrying a scanner that
>could receive police radio frequencies. His Radio Shack HTX-202 2-meter
>transceiver was confiscated. At a court appearance May 14, he was bound over
>for trial on June 4. The judge reportedly didn't hear any arguments
>concerning whether the law was broken, possibly because the arresting
>officer wasn't present.
>
>According to reports, Greg, the ARES EC for Christian County, Kentucky, and
>a ham since last summer, was detained by Hopkinsville Police. The officer
>indicated that when he arrived, Greg "was talking on a radio that is capable
>of receiving police frequencies. I verified this by keying my radio, which
>broke the squelch on [Greg's] radio."
>
>Greg denies the charges and says his radio has not been modified and cannot
>receive or transmit outside of the 2-meter band. He has sought advice from
>the ARRL in resolving the matter. ARRL Regulatory Information Branch
>Supervisor Norman Bliss, WA1CCQ, says the Kentucky law exempts equipment
>possessed by a licensed Amateur Radio operator that is capable of receiving
>police frequencies.
>
><...>
>
>===========================================================
>Material from The ARRL Letter may be reproduced in whole or in part, in any
>form, including photoreproduction and electronic databanks, provided that
>credit is given to The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.
>
>
>To subscribe to the email distribution list for the ARRL Letter, send
>a message to listserv@netcom.com with the body (subject is ignored)
>
>subscribe letter-list
>
>To unsubscribe,
>
>unsubscribe letter-list
>
>
Jim Bell
jimbell@pacifier.com