[meteorite-list] Lorton Meteorite

From: Phil Whitmer <prairiecactus_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 21:39:46 -0500
Message-ID: <99D8EBF4A4E247388EBBB17F95F8F66E_at_whitmerjbqtim1>

Hiya Carl, gun lovers and haters:

I was merely stating the law as it now stands. If a meteorite falls on your
property, you own it. An open and shut case. If the Smithsonian wants to
appeal to the Supreme Court, the Court could possibly rule that current
meteorite laws are unconstitutional. It's extremely unlikely they would hear
the case. It's highly unlikely even a Circuit judge would strike down
current meteorite laws as unconstitutional. Or any judge for that matter.
The Smithsonian has the lawyers and the funding of the federal gov't backing
them, they could try to argue the laws are unconstitutional, highly unlikely
as there is practically no chance they would win.

What they could do is go straight to the President and get either a
presidential decree or have the Justice Dep't write some memos like they
did legalizing torture. Again not a chance.

More likely they could get a Congressman to introduce a bill changing the
meteorite laws, but it would never make it out of the first round of
sub-committes.

Possession might be nine tenths of the law, but I'll be dollars to donuts
the Smithsonian gives it back.


Phil Whitmer
Received on Fri 05 Feb 2010 09:39:46 PM PST