Ohio wants to ban hidden compartments - Felony

A slippery slope:

Article said: COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio Senate committee has approved a bill to ban hidden compartments in vehicles to help crack down on drug trafficking. The State Highway Patrol says current law makes it tough for officers to pursue charges if they find such compartments but no drugs inside them. The bill would make that a felony. The Columbus Dispatch reports a Senate panel on Tuesday approved the measure, setting up a possible vote on it by the full Senate this week. The measure exempts dealer-installed compartments to address concerns from gun owners who worried how it would affect special vehicle compartments used to secure legal firearms. Bill opponents from Ohioans for Concealed Carry say they're still concerned law-abiding citizens could be forced to spend time and money defending their innocence and their rights. http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/ohio-news/ohio-senate-panel-oks-hidden-car-compartment-ban-1369117.html

Yes, that is right. If you don't have a "dealer installed" hidden compartment but rather a self made hidden compartment you could be charged with a FELONY even if there is no contraband!

So, I'm guessing this would also count for guys that hide their amps under panels and such, too.

I'm seeing this one not making it past the Supreme Court the first time it makes it there.

Derick Freese wrote: So, I'm guessing this would also count for guys that hide their amps under panels and such, too. I'm seeing this one not making it past the Supreme Court the first time it makes it there.

But do you want to be the guy who has to spend all his money and his life getting it there?

Keeping government out of my life. Well played Ohio.

Dumb. I did see some cool stuff on one of those Border shows. A newish Tourag had a slick compartment behind the nav system that was wired up to open when a combination of things were turned on in the vehicle.

I also wonder what they're going to call a hidden compartment. I mean, I can flip the bottom of my door panel up in my Jeep and I can access the door space, which I feel might be interpreted to be a hidden compartment. In my Honda, I don't have the tape holder screwed in, so it easily comes out. You can't see that it comes out, and there's a nice area back there to store anything. It's big enough to lose your cell phone in.

Derick Freese wrote: It's big enough to lose your cell phone in.

...or your civil rights!

So, for instance...

Last night I took the speaker cover off of my 944's dash mounted speaker, only to find out that there wasn't a speaker there... Would I be charged with a felony because there is a perfect hiding place built into my car now?

I keep hearing the words "too vauge" echoing in my head. I'd bet it wouldn't make it past the Ohio Supremes.

Edit: Ooh! Wait! What if I'd had the cash to buy that Drug runner's souped up F150? The one with go-fast mods and 700HP? It had a fake bed, which they hid about 100+ pounds of drugs in.

My Trooper has a compartment under the rear seat where I can stash stuff. It's also super easy to pull the right rear inside trim panel back and there.s a sizeable area exposed, probably 6"x18"x12". Since I KNOW about it, does that make me guilty?

Nope, far too vaguely written.

"The State Highway Patrol says current law makes it tough for officers to pursue charges if they find such compartments but no drugs inside them. "

That's the part that bothers me the most. That the police actually want to make compartments a crime.

An Ohio Senate committee has approved a bill to ban hidden compartments in vehicles

This of course also bothers me, that they would pass such a measure. But it's not as troublesome as the measure itself, or those who ask for such a measure.

But do you want to be the guy who has to spend all his money and his life getting it there?

And ultimately this. For while I would expect it to ultimately be struck down, should it become law (long way to go still), it would hurt some people badly and wrongly before getting struck down.

Ugh, this kind of thing makes me want to bang my head against my desk.

Do they think this will make smugglers, moving millions of dollars of illegal schedule 1 drugs, say "Gee, it's illegal to have these hidden compartments, I better stop smuggling drugs in them!!!!"

Coming from someone who has to know how to search vehicles be it cars, trucks, tractors, or trailers, tools are available to make the job easier. This is unnecessary.

I love Missouri. Castle law.

Derick Freese wrote: In my Honda, I don't have the tape holder screwed in, so it easily comes out. You can't see that it comes out, and there's a nice area back there to store anything. It's big enough to lose your cell phone in.

Is that a scotch, masking or packing tape holder?

I can pull up on my cup holder in my ms3 and have access to the inside of the entire center console and most of the dash. I must be a criminal, because Mazda designed it that way.

I love how a politician can say they're for small government one day then approve a bill like this the next. Weasels, the lot of them.

mndsm wrote: I can pull up on my cup holder in my ms3 and have access to the inside of the entire center console and most of the dash. I must be a criminal, because Mazda designed it that way.

Which means only criminals buy Mazdas. Get the torches and pitchforks, we gotta run that company outa town !!!!

any void in a vehicle can be used/ construed as a hidden compartment

Wouldn't my butthole, by definition, potentially be a hidden compartment?

Not if you are nekkid. Better start running around nekkid just to be safe.

In reply to fasted58:

EXACTLY.

Remove a piece of interior trim, and whats behind it? A hidden compartment!

Whats behind that plastic fender liner? A hidden compartment!

Out of washer fluid? ZOMG HIDDEN COMPARTMENT!

EastCoastMojo wrote: Not if you are nekkid. Better start running around nekkid just to be safe.

you first

I really dont see the point of this law. Occasionally a car will be randomly stopped and a load of drugs or cash will be found, but easily 99.9% of mule stops are made because of tips(usually from mad ex-girlfriends). When the vehicle is seized and tested and found to have things like dope residue and hidden compartments the car and any contents are seized. Add that to the fact that I have never seen a mule who was anything above a hood rat and I dont see the point in jamming up a mule who doesnt know anything and ,most importantly, can't make any more cases for you.

And dont worry if I stop any of you to look for "hidden compartments" I'll make sure to bring some Luther Vandross and a bottle of wine

If you pull the back seat there's tons of space under the rear interior panels on my 'rolla.

Welp- guess I better gut my car. Wife didn't like the idea when i wanted to do it for weight savings, but if it's against the law to have hidden compartments- I can't go flouting the law with my interior hiding all that free space and all.