5 ms·

More generally, boobytrapping stuff has lots of potential harm to lots of potential people. (gas company employees, police, etc). The fact that it's also harmfu

More generally, boobytrapping stuff has lots of potential harm to lots of potential people. (gas company employees, police, etc). The fact that it's also harmful to thiefs is tangential.

Periodic 17y ago
My middle school got bitten by this. The roof collapsed on a burglar and he successfully sued the school. At the time he was not doing anything illegal (as he was outside a public school). The roof was unsafe and we have laws against that to protect HVAC technicians and the like. That he was up to no good was irrelevant.
- liquidben 17y ago
  I'd presume that trespass would apply to this situation, although it would not likely invalidate the lawsuit outright.
  - Periodic 17y ago
    That's the thing. As a public school, at least in our area, you're allowed to be on the grounds when the school isn't open. You just can't go inside. I once was ticketed for being at a park after sunset in our town. The cop explained to my friends and I that if we had just been across the street at the elementary school then it wouldn't have been a problem.
- jjs 17y ago
  Why bother robbing anyone when you can just trespass on unsafe-looking property and sue?
  - mquander 17y ago
    I don't know. Are you volunteering to have a roof collapse on top of you in the hope of successfully suing the property owner? I'm not.
    - jjs 17y ago
      No, I think that would still be ethically a form of robbery, even if legally it's not.
- jmaygarden 17y ago
  I've heard of a copper thief successfully suing a power company for his injuries while cracking into a hot transformer.
marltod 17y ago
Intending to you kill someone for robbing you is illegal as well if you are not in danger (being at work in this case)
- shpxnvz 17y ago
  Intending to you kill someone for robbing you is illegal as well if you are not in danger Actually, that depends entirely on which state you live in. Some states under Castle Doctrine allow deadly force to prevent the commission of any felony in your home, including robbery. That, so far as I know, does not apply to booby traps. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Doctrine_in_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Doctrine_in_the_United_S...
  - deltaqueue 17y ago
    You're correct--the Castle Doctrine only pertains to places when you physically occupy them (home, or car/work in some states), so setting up something to injure or kill someone on another one of those premises does not fall within those guidelines.
- Patient0 17y ago
  I thought all that was necessary was to place warning signs. i.e. if you leave a big sign that says "warning this house is booby trapped and unsafe" that's sufficient to protect you against a burglar who sues you for the leg that your spring-loaded machete hacked off.

More generally, boobytrapping stuff has lots of potential harm to lots of potential people. (gas company employees, police, etc). The fact that it's also harmful to thiefs is tangential.

Periodic 17y ago

My middle school got bitten by this. The roof collapsed on a burglar and he successfully sued the school. At the time he was not doing anything illegal (as he was outside a public school). The roof was unsafe and we have laws against that to protect HVAC technicians and the like. That he was up to no good was irrelevant.

liquidben 17y ago
I'd presume that trespass would apply to this situation, although it would not likely invalidate the lawsuit outright.
- Periodic 17y ago
  That's the thing. As a public school, at least in our area, you're allowed to be on the grounds when the school isn't open. You just can't go inside. I once was ticketed for being at a park after sunset in our town. The cop explained to my friends and I that if we had just been across the street at the elementary school then it wouldn't have been a problem.
jjs 17y ago
Why bother robbing anyone when you can just trespass on unsafe-looking property and sue?
- mquander 17y ago
  I don't know. Are you volunteering to have a roof collapse on top of you in the hope of successfully suing the property owner? I'm not.
  - jjs 17y ago
    No, I think that would still be ethically a form of robbery, even if legally it's not.
jmaygarden 17y ago
I've heard of a copper thief successfully suing a power company for his injuries while cracking into a hot transformer.

marltod 17y ago

Intending to you kill someone for robbing you is illegal as well if you are not in danger (being at work in this case)

shpxnvz 17y ago
Intending to you kill someone for robbing you is illegal as well if you are not in danger Actually, that depends entirely on which state you live in. Some states under Castle Doctrine allow deadly force to prevent the commission of any felony in your home, including robbery. That, so far as I know, does not apply to booby traps. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Doctrine_in_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Doctrine_in_the_United_S...
- deltaqueue 17y ago
  You're correct--the Castle Doctrine only pertains to places when you physically occupy them (home, or car/work in some states), so setting up something to injure or kill someone on another one of those premises does not fall within those guidelines.
Patient0 17y ago
I thought all that was necessary was to place warning signs. i.e. if you leave a big sign that says "warning this house is booby trapped and unsafe" that's sufficient to protect you against a burglar who sues you for the leg that your spring-loaded machete hacked off.