jrmazzeo
Full Member
I am in the middle of a terrible metal detecting experience that I wanted to share and get some feedback on.
I was recently detecting on the common of the town I live in, something I and others have done many times before and which is not prohibited by the town bylaws. While retrieving a target I was approached by a police office who yelled "Hey a**hole, what the hell do you think you are doing?" I explained to him that I was metal detecting the common and reiterated that it was not illegal to do so. He asked for my license and called it into the station and then told me to leave and that I was forbidden to be on the common and that I should expect a summons in the mail.
Two weeks later I received said summons and was charged with vandalism, which is a felony in my state. I immediately hired a lawyer and waited for the arraignment, which occurred last week. The police report cited damage to the grass and potentially the sprinklers, with the evidence being photos the officer took after I left showing what a typical, neat filled in hole looks like.
I have subsequently taken photos of the area I was digging showing that no damage was done.
Has anyone else experienced this before? Any ideas on how to fight this charge?
I was recently detecting on the common of the town I live in, something I and others have done many times before and which is not prohibited by the town bylaws. While retrieving a target I was approached by a police office who yelled "Hey a**hole, what the hell do you think you are doing?" I explained to him that I was metal detecting the common and reiterated that it was not illegal to do so. He asked for my license and called it into the station and then told me to leave and that I was forbidden to be on the common and that I should expect a summons in the mail.
Two weeks later I received said summons and was charged with vandalism, which is a felony in my state. I immediately hired a lawyer and waited for the arraignment, which occurred last week. The police report cited damage to the grass and potentially the sprinklers, with the evidence being photos the officer took after I left showing what a typical, neat filled in hole looks like.
I have subsequently taken photos of the area I was digging showing that no damage was done.
Has anyone else experienced this before? Any ideas on how to fight this charge?
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