Nailed by the Game Warden
Nope, nothing horrible I don't think... but hear me out then give me your thoughts:
On Friday the 24th an old friend was visiting family from out of state and called me wanting to go bowhunting. I said fine but do you havea hunting license? He says not yet but I can get one and if not I'll just be your camera man. He calls me later that night and confirms he got a license so weagree for me to pick him up the next morning.
On Saturday morning, I pick him up and we head out. Shortly before we arrive I learn that his definition of "I got a license" is that he borrowed a friend's back tag. Being someone who always makes sure I'm legit with the law, I strongly advised against him doing this. He declines and decides to chance it just this once. Also being a friend of his for 10 years I wasn't going to wrestle him down, tie him up so he couldn't do this, or turn him in to the authorities. Afterall, he is his own man of his own decisions.
Fast forward to meeting the Game Warden... We get down about 10:30 am and head back to the car after seeing nothing. We're both checked and obviously I'm legit but he's not. He tries lying to the Warden but can't repeatthe information on the license correctly. That was when the Warden asked me who he was. Now I'm in a position where I had to choose between sticking up for my friend of 10 years or lying to the Warden as well. I made the wrong (and stupid) move out of loyalty to the friend instead of loyalty to the law. I knew there was no way he was getting out of this but it seemed to me at the time that our friendship was on the line. He was then given a signature test and failed as well. That's whenhe finally fessed up.
We were then taken to the headquarters for further questioning. After what seemed like an eternity of tape recorded interrogation and signed statements, he was slapped with a handful of violations. One for borrowing a license, the other for hunting without a license, and I think the third was for shooting or the intention to shoot deer without a license. The third is considered a crime, which by the way I think is a little overboard and probably arguable in court because he never actually shot anything?
I on the other hand was given a citation of $288.00 for being a "party to a violation". I suppose the real question behind my post hereis whether or not you guys think this was fair and what my chances are at asking the courts for leniency? I've hunted over 10 yearshaving zero trouble with the law but was just put on the spot and came out with the short end of the stick. Also, if anyone kinda knows the law here let me ask you this: The Warden told me I got off easy because he could've cited me for being a party to all of my friend's other violations and that if I was going to dispute my citation then he could've easily treated me with the same regard as my friend. I don't know if this means that if I go to court to ask for leniency that the Warden will then issue me those other citations or not. I don't think that it's legal to issue someone a citation months from now for what they did today but then I'm not a lawyer. Anyone with knowledge of the law with respect to this?
Thanks for listening to this long-winded post. Any response is appreciated.