j809";p="66902 said:
bluesamurai22";p="66897 said:
Riggs";p="65791 said:
What about a fine for someone, non-police officer, having an MPA plate on the front? Ever come across these people.
You could charge receiving stolen property. I know of one person who was convicted of this for having an MPA sticker.
You would definately have this option (summons):
http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/266-69.htm
You're out of your mind, don't teach people this non-sense. You charge someone with this shit and you will be the embarassement of your court, the case will be dismissed and you will look like a jerk for a very long time. Go find some real criminals. How can you charge receiving stolen property, how do you know it's stolen, was it reported stolen, do you have a record of it that it's stolen. Charge them with 90/6 if you have to and move on.
Relax, it's just an option. I'm also pretty sure I'm not out of my mind but maybe you're on to something.
Some people might think writing a ticket for no front plate is a B.S. charge and some people even think traffic enforcement takes away from catching "real criminals". Everyone has different opinions on these things. It's all about knowing the law, knowing your otions and then using discretion and good sense to figure out what to do.
I personally wouldn't write a money ticket for no front plate but I might stop someone for it (as a pretext for catching real criminals). I would have less of a problem charging someone who is wrongfully using an MPA sticker than a person who was too lazy to put that second plate on their car. But I'm also different than some officers in that I don't get too worked up about second cousins, best friends, boyfriends and girlfriends using the stickers (even though they aren't supposed to have them).
But that's just me.
2 points:
1. You can prove receiving stolen property without knowing where it was stolen from and without having a report of it. See Comm. V. Cromwell
In the case I referenced the person was in fact convicted in a nearby district court for having a stolen MPA sticker. (This eventually led to his LTC denial. In his case this was a good thing as he had previously skated on several other charges.)
2. If you want a slam dunk case for receiving you can track the number on the sticker and see who it was issued to. If the number is removed you could easily liken it to removing a serial number or VIN in order to hide rightful ownership.