Quote Originally Posted by Mike S
Hi Kiltedknight,
While your edification concerning the distinction between Codes and Laws is fascinating and enlightening from an academic point of view, unfortunately it is moot when officer "doing his duty" pulls you over, and either arrests you for carrying an "unlawful", or unlawfully concealed weapon, or at the very least confiscates your costly family heirloom away from you and ruins your day.

I actually know a well known antique weapons dealer who was pulled over for a tail light out, and detained for hours because he was transporting some two and three hundred year old bladed weapons secured in his trunk on the way to a Sothebys Militaria Auction! The blades were worth tens of thousands of dollars, but Officer means well wasn't buying it.(I can just imagine storming into Fort Knox brandishing a 200 year old French Officer's Sword, I mean really).

Arguing the point via an attorney in a court of law some days later is up to the discretion of the individual and certainly your prerogative (albeit a costly one), but I think most of us would like to avoid either scenario!
I think all of us would agree that we'd like to avoid either of these scenaios but as the old saying goes; "If you don't stand up for your rights you don't have any rights" Personally, I would have swamped Officer "Means Well" with so much paperwork and charges that he would certainly remember that people have those rights and he is still a public servant.
When you let these officials walk all over you they will continue to do it just for something to do. I once had a friend who, at a shooting range accidentally, (stupidly), shot himself in the hand with my pistol. The police responded along with the paramedics and tried to "Confiscate" my pistol. Reason? It had been 'involved in a shooting'. Okay, give me a receipt and I'll be down tomorrow to pick up my gun. No, they didn't have any receipts. I said "Then you don't take my gun" and they left without my gun. Point? The cop was trying to steal my pistol and since there were a lot of people withnessing my demand for a receipt they decided to just leave.
My point is this; once you start questioning their authority they generally change their tune. What law was being violated by your friend by transporting swords? I'll bet you can't name one.
Thanks for the soap box.

Chris.