Do Not Install CCTV Or Access Control In A Drug House In New Jersey
TIL it is illegal to install or maintain "steel doors, wooden planking, cross bars, alarm systems, dogs, lookouts or any other means... to prevent, impede, delay or provide warning of the entry into a structure or any part of a structure by law enforcement officers" if the building or structure is used "for the manufacture, distribution, dispensing or possession or control with intent to manufacture, distribute or dispense, controlled dangerous substances" in the State of New Jersey. Seems like a CCTV system would be covered by this law (pdf).
The tiny police department of the smallish town I recently moved away from aquired themselves an armored vehicle recently. They've been having great fun doing no-knock raids, both in-town and for departments in surrounding towns, and the suspects keep getting charged with "keeping a fortified house" among other charges (never resisting arrest, though, because it's not that kind of place, which is why they used to knock on the door and allow suspects to surrender peacefully).
This law appears to be essentially useful only to trump up charges. There's already plenty illegal about a crack house...
I guess if there are cameras or nice locks installed on a drughouse, laws like this provide another avenue to pursue a warrant?
...steel doors, wooden planking, cross bars, alarm systems, dogs, lookouts or any other means...
Its illegal for criminals to use 'lookouts'? What's next no 'running away'? Or even no 'lying'? Though the law's power to deter can't be easily underestimated:
Donny Dealer: Good, it's all here, 50 keys of the Purest Peruvian Flake Yayo, nice work Danny...
Danny Dealer: Thanks Boss, oh and fyi, Denny is bringing by those Uzi's you w--
Donny Dealer: Danny! What the flake is that?! I told you no lookouts! Do you have any idea what the penalty is for maintaining a lookout in this state?? (Shoots Danny) Idiot...
to prevent, impede, delay or provide warning of the entry into a structure or any part of a structure by law enforcement officers.
Funny cameras are not mentioned explicitly, but I agree that even though the first IP camera was only a gleam in Martin Gren's eye at the time this was enacted, that the courts would certainly apply the law now to security cameras in general.
Lying = making false statements (18 U.S.C. § 1001) (for example Martha Stewart was convicted under this law).
Prosecutors do not like to go to trial - unlike what you may have gleaned from Perry Mason or Matlock.
By adding 14 BS 'crimes' to the charge sheet, the prosecutor is front-loading... they never plan on prosecuting those things - they just use them to get the bad dude to cop to the one charge they actually want to convict him of - primarily to avoid the cost of trial.
So to get the dude to cop to the sale of controlled substance rap, they 'drop' conspiracy to sell controlled substance, using a vehicle to transport controlled substance, possession with intent to sell controlled substance, unlicensed possession of controlled substance, smelling like a controlled substance, etc...
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