In the Land of the Free, Police Now Violating Your Rights Using ‘Firewood Checkpoints’

Friday, June 2, 2017
By Paul Martin

By Jay Syrmopoulos
TheFreeThoughtProject.com
June 2, 2017

Police in states across the U.S. have increasingly been employing new methods to search unsuspecting motorists’ vehicles. First came the DUI checkpoints, then the insurance checkpoints, and driver’s license checkpoints. Now, in the Land of the Free, a growing new trend is emerging — Americans will be forced to go through “firewood” checkpoints.

The public reasoning for these checkpoints is state firewood quarantine programs, which prohibits residents of the invasive insect-infected areas, to transport untreated firewood outside that area. While these programs are meant to prevent the spread of the emerald ash borer, a legitimately destructive beetle that targets ash trees, they clearly disregard constitutional guarantees against illegal search and seizure.

Ohio police have been setting up ‘firewood’ checkpoints to search motorists’ vehicles since 2004, with violators potentially facing fines up to $10,000 if they’re caught with the banned firewood, according to the Daily Jefferson. In Michigan, police have been using ‘firewood’ checkpoints since at least 2005, and the list of states using them is growing.

In New Hampshire, traveling with contraband firewood could result in a fine of $250, confiscation of the wood, and misdemeanor charges for subsequent offenses, according to forest ranger Douglas Miner.

Just last week, the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development announced that it would police firewood transport with roadside checkpoints over Memorial Day weekend.

In typical police checkpoint fashion, Miner said he’s legally unable to divulge the locations of the checkpoints — as that wouldn’t allow for enough revenue generating potential.

The Rest…HERE

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