Is ignorance of the law an excuse?

[Throwback]

I figured the public school thread had died down and I had a chance to get ya'lls opinions.

IS IGNORANCE OF THE LAW AN EXCUSE?
I don't mean just ignorance of a game and fish law, even thought this is the reason most of us are on the board. I mean general ignorance of a law. We always hear and say "Ignorance of the law is no excuse!"

Is that true?

What say you?


T

 

[Al33]

If ignorance was an excuse, there would be little incentive to learn. One could easilly use it as a defense against anything.

Al

 

[Meriwether Mike]

NO it is not!

 

[Dustin Pate]

Not in my opinion!

 

[Paymaster]

Might be your individual reason for doing something , But not an excuse.

 

[woody116]

No, it is not.

 

[dbone]

I voted no and thats the way it should be , But I have one question ?? Why does Bush and the Administration use it and get away with it so skillfully ?????????

 

[Tom Borck]

Depends?? I got a speeding ticket because I did not know the speed limit. It was not posted! I asked the police officer were the sign was and he said it was posted down the road, IT WASN'T! He gave me a ticket 65 in a 55. Well, they put up a new sign a few days later and change the limit to 45. So, I was not aware of the limit/ignorant and yet I got a speeding ticket. I believe I had an excuse, but paid the ticket anyways.

 

[Skipper]

Here's my opinion, and I see I'm in the minority.

1. We have too many laws in this country. All of them are written by lawyers and congressmen and all are too darn confusing to understand.

In Kentucky, we have a 50 page hunting rule manual magazine thing. We have a separage Fishing thing and a separate spring turkey thing all about the same size. That's way too many laws. Every year, there are misprints and mistakes in it to further complicate matters.

I think there is a extreme difference in how you handle a situation where someone is trying their best to do right but somehow messes up and someone who is intentionally doing something that is against the law.

For example: In Kentucky Above the 1st ripple in the headwaters of Lake Cumberland, the size limit on largemouth is 12" below the ripple it is 15". The ripple is ill defined and it changes with the water level up to 3/4 of a river mile. My definition of that 1st ripple and someone else's definition of that first ripple may be 2 entirely different things. If there were a clear sign that says, 15" limit beyond this point, it would be different but there isn't.

I believe you ought to know the laws about what you are doing, but I also believe that in our quest to make everything iron clad in writing, we have made it quite impossible to do so. I know in my business, the law says that I can not insure a home for more than the purchase price less the value of the land. However, the laws that govern the banking industry say that they have to have the full value of their loan insured. So, if they loan 100% of purchase, someone has to break the law in my business to keep the law in the banking business from being broke. Ignorance? No. 2 opposing laws? Yes.

Lesson, there are too many laws.

Skipper

 

[HT2]

Ignorance??????

NO IT'S NOT!!!!!!!!!

No excuse!!!!!!!!

 

[Tom Borck]

NO IT'S NOT!!!!!!!!!

No excuse!!!!!!!!

So, getting a speeding ticket on a stretch of road where there is NOT a speed limit sign is not an excuse?

 

[Throwback]

T

 

[Jody Hawk]

Yes !!!!

We pulled up to this fellows house and asked for permission to hunt. He said sure but make sure you stay on this side of that hedge row down there. A few hours later the game warden pulls up and hauls us to jail for hunting without permission and we pay a $200 fine a piece. Turns out the fellow gave us permission to hunt the property even though he didn't own the land. I've had folks argue with me on this before on here but we did no wrong. If anyone got arrested it should have been the fellow who gave us permission knowing that he didn't own the property. Was we trespassing? Yes. Did we knowingly break the law? No. This happened nearly twenty years ago and my blood still boils everytime I think of it.

 

[Al33]

Jody,

I agree with you in that circumstance, so I guess you are right, ignorance is an excuse, but only circumstancially.

Al

 

[HT2]

T B.......

So, getting a speeding ticket on a stretch of road where there is NOT a speed limit sign is not an excuse?

Where's this road??????

I need to find it!!!!!!!!

 

[GeauxLSU]

Nope.

No.
Jody, no excuse. It's a 'reason' you were hunting illegally but it's (rightfully) not an excuse in the eyes of the law. I'd have been pretty ticked too though. And I think I know where I'd have gotten my $200 back from....
Hunt/fish safely,
Phil

 

[bradpatt03]

if ignorance was an excuse it would be far to easy to get away with anything....anyone can play dumb

 

[bradpatt03]

ht2- if you read the driver's handbook it says unless posted you should assume it is a 45 mph zone...i tried that excuse on a backroad near hunt camp

 

[beginnersluck]

it's an excuse, but not a good one! Know the law...it's right in the books!

 

[Tom Borck]

ht2- if you read the driver's handbook it says unless posted you should assume it is a 45 mph zone...i tried that excuse on a backroad near hunt camp

Really? Well, the police officer got it wrong also.