There’s a old joke, based on the truth of a criminal burglary ring operated by Denver police officers decades ago, that a homeowner reporting a break-in and robbery was told, by an officer, “We know. We were there.”
That’s apparently coming true again, as a lawsuit charges law-enforcement officers in Virginia not only violated a “No trespassing” order on private land, but stole a camera from the property.
The battle has been brought by the Institute for Justice on behalf of Josh Highlander.
The case charges Virginia game wardens came on his property and stole a game-watching camera there. Without a warrant and without even asking.
“The whole point of having private property is so that you can say who comes on and who doesn’t,” said IJ Attorney Josh Windham. “By sneaking around Josh Highlander’s land and taking his camera without a warrant, Virginia game wardens turned that basic American concept on its head.”
The legal team reported Highlander found out about the trespassing and theft when, “On April 8, the first day of turkey season in Virginia, Josh’s wife and young son were playing outside when their basketball rolled toward the woods. When Josh’s wife went to retrieve it, she saw a figure in heavy camouflage in their woods. She ushered her son back into the house and alerted Josh, who came outside but couldn’t locate the stranger.”
Highlander explained, “For weeks my son wouldn’t play outside in his own backyard because he was afraid of who might be in the woods. My camera was taken two months ago, and I’ve still never received a receipt, a warrant or a ticket. In decades of hunting, I’ve never received a citation. DWR also says they promote safety, but they snuck around my land without telling me. What happened to my family was wrong and I’m fighting for our privacy and to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Need them on the Border WALL !!! Mine the Border !!! Solved !!!!