"possession of an infernal machine"?

Wonder when that law dates back to?

Sample statute:

PART IV. CRIMES, PUNISHMENTS AND PROCEEDINGS IN CRIMINAL CASES

TITLE I. CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS

CHAPTER 266. CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY

Chapter 266: Section 102A. Infernal machine; possession; definition; notice of seizure

Section 102A. Whoever, other than a police or other law enforcement officer acting in the discharge of his official duties, has in his possession or under his control an infernal machine or a similar instrument, contrivance or device shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than ten years or in jail for not more than two and one half years, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and the said machine, instrument, contrivance or device shall be forfeited to the commonwealth. The term “infernal machine”, as used in this section, shall include any device for endangering life or doing unusual damage to property, or both, by fire or, explosion, whether or not contrived to ignite or explode automatically and whether or not disguised so as to appear harmless. Notice of the seizure of any such machine, instrument, contrivance or device shall be sent forthwith to the commissioner of public safety and the article seized shall be subject to his order.

Last edited by whosasailorthen (2009-04-19 23:20:42)

orangeplus wrote:

Something about this stinks

the following items in his checked baggage: a locked handgun box containing a semi-automatic handgun, a fully loaded gun magazine, several boxes of 9 mm and 7.62 mm ammunition, three model rocket engines containing an explosive mixture, military pull-type fuses, switches, electronics kit boxes with various components, and a hand grenade fuse assembly with detonator.

Doesn't sound sinister to me. Dumb, yes.

Read the piece carefully, there are no explosives. He's got a nine, box magazine of 7.62 with no weapon to fire it, some model rocket engines (ersatz detonator?), radio shack electronics kit. They don't find the stuff when he first gets on the plane, instead they find it at his layover on an inspection they don't normally do. There's so little here, they've decided to charge him with a crime intended to prosecute 19th century anarchists. Smells.

EDIT: An as the name of the thread indicated, "as if on cue"

EDIT 2: They don't mention what inspection was done to find this stuff. Did they X-ray everything? I don't think they X-ray checked baggage, they do the neutron scans for explosive residue. If they find a gun in checked baggage via x-ray, do they go back and compare manifests with some form he may have filled out on his originating flight, does that sound like the TSA you know? The TSA that inspectors have gotten pound bricks of C4 in their carry-ons through? Why was he in Boston anyway? Originating from LV, unless he started somewhere else to get to LV, going to NC, does flying to Boston make sense? I've had some weird flight plans before, but going most of the width of the country out of the way? I don't want to get all conspiracy here and for all I know it's just what one's first fears might easily go to. Just seems weird.

Last edited by orangeplus (2009-04-20 00:18:50)

Really the only thing truly illegal here is the handgun, possibly the rocket engines as hazardous material.

Emmeran wrote:

M60 hand grenade fuse - a flash bang.  I don't want to hold it, but it sure as hell ain't comp H6.

Indeed, but what's the legality of it?

I know that model rocket engines, even expended ones(!), are verboten on airplanes, and have been for at least 15 years.

jesusluvspegging wrote:

Well, there IS the grenade detonator

Twenty years ago airport security'd have properly levied a stupid-tax, returned the toys and said no more about it. Logan's hugely overstaffed  Homeland Security unit is facing budget cuts. Feel their pain.

It's the Las Vegas screeners who should have gotten the ax. Handguns need to be declared. If they can't see if on the X-Ray, why are they doing the XRays?

I don't believe they x-ray checked baggage, just the neutron scans

ptah13 wrote:

Some people think that all handguns are, or should be, illegal, Dec. I've met people that are SHOCKED to hear you can legally put your gun in your checked luggage and fly. You just can't bring it in your carry-on.

Yeah, I took my S&W .357 to Deutschland that way with no trouble at all.  I later found out, how-ever, that hollow-points were illegal there; So, I had to dispose of all of mine at the Heidelberg firing range.

Decadence wrote:

GooberMcNutly wrote:

It's the Las Vegas screeners who should have gotten the ax. Handguns need to be declared.

I've all-ways transported mine - A-Long with boxes of reloaded hollow-points - in my checked luggage and I've never been told that I had to declare them.  Is this a new law?

Not technically a law, but FAA regulations, I believe. Every carrier that I have flown has it in the regulations. They usually set the number of rounds allowed and most require that the gun and ammo be separate and that the gun be in a separately locked container. It's a hassle, no doubt about it.

MSG Tripps wrote:

The one at the Rod and Gun Club?

No, this was actually a German firing range (My friend and I were the only Americans there).  It's just a short walk from the golf course.

Decadence wrote:

German firing range

I left some lead around Heidelberg [Oftersheim].