Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!know!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!well!tenney From: bob@MorningStar.Com (Bob Sutterfield) Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.news Subject: Re: Search Warrants & Organizations (was Re: Missing mission) Message-ID: <20778@well.sf.ca.us> Date: 13 Sep 90 22:02:04 GMT References: <11446@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> <1990Aug26.063940.29357@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu> <36814@ut-emx.UUCP> <11502@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> <1990Sep2.030722.25255@cs.rochester.edu> <11522@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> <1990Sep10.01253 Sender: tenney@well.sf.ca.us Reply-To: bob@MorningStar.Com (Bob Sutterfield) Organization: Morning Star Technologies Lines: 36 Approved: comp-org-eff-news@well.sf.ca.us In-Reply-To: yamauchi@granite.cs.rochester.edu's message of 10 Sep 90 01:25:30 GMT In article <1990Sep10.012530.4008@cs.rochester.edu> yamauchi@granite.cs.rochester.edu (Brian Yamauchi) writes: In article <11522@medusa.cs.purdue.edu>, spaf@cs.purdue.EDU (Gene Spafford) writes: The seizure of equipment at Steve Jackson Games may well turn out to be a terrible abuse by Federal investigators. Suppose this all turns out to be a big mistake -- is the SS going to be held responsible for repairing all the damage it has inflicted? ...can Steve Jackson (and other victims) sue the SS (and other agencies) for his losses? If he does, what are his chances (assuming he and his employees are not charged/convicted)? About two years ago (exact references upon request, they're at home and I'm at the office), a small civil airplane was proceeding under Visual Flight Rules by a private pilot between two small Florida airports. During his landing rollout, the pilot found his craft suddenly and uncontrollably flipping onto its back. Upon extricating himself from the fuel-soaked wreckage, he was glad to see men in uniform nearby, and he began to approach them seeking assistance. The men in uniform were Customs agents (another branch of the Treasury department). They had been closely following the small airplane, without the pilot's knowledge, for some distance. They had just landed their helicopter near the small airplane, and the rotor wash caused it to flip. Thankfully, there was no fire. The pilot was instructed to lie on the ground while his airplane was thoroughly searched. When no drug-related contraband was found, the agents bid him farewell and departed. The aircraft was destroyed - a total loss, useful only for component salvage. When the pilot tried to sue the Customs Service for the damages caused to his airplane, he was denied permission. His insurance company declined to pay because the damage was the result of government action. The main difference that I (a pilot, but not a lawyer) can see between the airplane-flipping incident and SJG's is that, so far as I know, SJ was never in mortal danger.