Illinois residents BEWARE!

[hotbugs62]

Hi all, well conservation just left my house and they seized 69 of my scorpions! They said Babycurus jacksoni and Hottentotta trilineatus are of medical significance so they took all of them plus an unknown species. I live in Illinois and had no idea these were illegal. I know you're not supposed to keep venomous reptiles but didn't know about the arachnids. Lots of time and money gone in an hour! Welcome to the communist state of Illinois, <Edit>I have no clue what to do.

 

[Swemba]

i was in the champaign/urbana area once, real liberal place. you can't buy alcohol after midnight and have to smoke outside everywhere. the kids there said their college indian mascot got banned cause it was racist. lol, isn't that where obama represents. i'm guessing firearms are a nono.

 

[Koh_]

so how did they know u had the scorpions ?

 

[kbekker]

Did you ask to see the law? I assume this was a state law (you said conservation) and not a municipal law?

A quick search returns this dangerous animal law, but as you mentioned no statement for invertebrates.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilc...FENSES&ActName=Illinois+Dangerous+Animals+Act

 

[Mina]

Where exactly do you live? And do you have any idea how they found out you have them?

 

[bliss]

i hate these types of laws. they are pretty freakin' idiotic if you ask me.

-dan-

 

[Aztek]

Hmmmm.....

 

[JMurphy97]

Yeah that's pretty garbage to me. They just come in and take what they want? Sucks because I'm not too far from you in Wisconsin. Watch I bet they have people that monitor forums like this and find who has what and then decide who they are gonna it. We are all being watched.

 

[gvfarns]

Yeah how did they find out about your scorps? That is rather scary.

If the law doesn't mention invertebrates you can probably mention that to a lawyer and get them back. Not that that's a money saving strategy either. What part of Illinois do you live in? Did they have a warrant to search your house?

 

[EightLeggedFrea]

Oh great, another one of these...

Did they have a warrant? Does the law mention invertebrates? Like someone else mentioned you could probably use that in a case to help get your scorps back. I would try everything to get them back whether or not it saves money!

Idiots...

 

[ftorres]

Hello,
All this are very important points!!!

Sorry for what you are going through.

I would call or investigate and ask to be shown the law or regulation.

Something must have happen to be you the target person. You are not the only one keeping scorpions in your State.

If they had a warrant, then you did OK to let them in, but if they did not it was a bad call.
Anyways, you must ask and inquire about the regulations, if they are wrong you will get your animals back.

Make sure you did not do anything illegal like getting them from Out of the country without a permit or anything like that.

Good luck to you and I hope you do get your inverts back, I hope you do have the time to fight for what is yours in the event of them being wrong.

regards
francisco

 

[betuana]

I would've definitely asked to see the law stating that. To my knowledge there is no such state law banning scorpions, etc. Snakes over 6 feet yes (dangerous reptiles you know... :wall: ). But in my time working at a shelter and looking up state laws about critters I never saw scorpions or any arachnids mentioned...I might have missed it, but it does seem odd....

Really sucks that they took all those - too many people regulating too many things - don't they have better things to do? Seems like there are enough actual problems for them to be dealing with that they shouldn't be worrying about seizing someone's arachnids...

I'd also be trying to figure out how it got reported. Someone visiting, working on your home (maintenence person, painter, etc), old roommate, etc. I see it as unlikely that they are lacking so much in something to do that they are trying to hunt people down using the forums - someone who has been at your place or who you have discussed scorpions with (and was able to ID who you were for them) complained about it to them. I'd want to know and confront the person about it myself...

i was in the champaign/urbana area once, real liberal place. you can't buy alcohol after midnight and have to smoke outside everywhere. the kids there said their college indian mascot got banned cause it was racist. lol, isn't that where obama represents. i'm guessing firearms are a nono.

Just had to comment on this as a long time CU resident. I've never run into problems buying alcohol after midnight (assuming the place doesn't close before then, most bars don't), the smoking ban is statewide (and we aren't the first state to have it, or the worst. Some areas have 'public smoking bans - cannot smoke anywhere in public, outside or inside.), not just in CU, and the mascot is such a huge debate issue around here that its just absurd - but the NCAA basically came in and told the university to lose the mascot or lose the right to be involved in any big sports events. Oh, and several of my friends legally own firearms, go hunting, go to ranges, etc....Not to say there aren't some absurd local laws, but those aren't them. (Monsters aren't allowed in the corporate limits of Urbana though....actual law....now THATS just silly...)
Sorry, but that comment was just full of so many inaccuracies it was painful to read.

But yeah, the whole situation is just crappy. They need to find something a little more worth spending our tax dollars on. (I'd rather my money go to keeping our state parks open than seizing scorpions from someone :wall: ).

 

[ThomasH]

It sucks! My state is going democrat. It may soon be the first time in 40 years that both my state's senate seats will be held by democrats.

 

[drgonzo]

Unless you have a local ordinance in your city and or native species in your collection...GET A LAWYER,consultations are free most of the time.Tell him/her you want to start a civil suit for punitive damages,definition of character,illegal search and seizure,loss of sales,and legal fee's.Under law inverts are not considered exotic or dangerous animals.If they were they would have to put alot of exterminators in jail for animal cruelty .

Heres something for you to scratch your head about.This is how these idiots work.A buddy of mine got caught crossing state lines with about 30 baby srilankan pythons(sub species of the India pythons) on his way to a show. Conservation officer believed these to be an endangered species(Indian pythons)....So what do you do with 30 believed to be endangered pythons???
Put them in the freezer of course...that's evidence.He was able to get off and reimbursed for the animals...But the animals weren't so lucky

Contact a lawyer before your collection is euthanized
Don't take no <crap> from those swine!!!

 

[crpy]

It sucks! My state is going democrat. It may soon be the first time in 40 years that both my state's senate seats will be held by democrats.

uh, I think it probably a Bipartisan thing, lets not get into to another round and round and round political debate. Basically its idiots at hand and we have to fight ordinances and the idiots that make them.

 

[hotbugs62]

WOW, thanks for all the replies. For some reason I couldn't log in. Never had that problem. Back in May a friend I work for had asked a certain person that works for DNR if it was OK to display some of the more hot scorpions. She said it was OK. Them came in conservation to seize them. He gave them up because they threatened him with child services and scared the crap out of him. The scorpions he did have were not getting loose. Very well housed. They said they were going to come get mine but never did. Well I rent and one of my neighbors bitched about my fence. They seen I had snakes and bugs. Well the cop called the same lady and she sent a conservation officer to my house to see what I had. They took nothing then but he wrote down what I had. He did take some scorpions that were dead in my freezer. Well last week he said he was going to return them to me today but instead they took all my adult B. jacksoni and H. trilineatus plus 18 2i H. trilineatus, 18 2i B. jacksoni and 11 4i B. jacksoni and one unknown species. He was going to take all my centipedes and one Malayan trap door spider but he found out they were OK to keep. I pointed the law out that says NOTHING about dangerous bugs. He had the one conservation officer read something that said unless it was a plant or bacteria they were not allowed. Can't remember what that was in. I did consent to a search because I had nothing to hide. They were here 2 weeks ago and nothing. I even showed him that the 2 species had caused no deaths in private collection but he still took them. He did say that if everything checked out he would bring them back, yeah right. I know he put them in the freezer. Back in May when they took my buddies stuff they said it would go to the St.Louis Zoo in their insect house, they never got there. I can't even afford a lawyer so basically I'm screwed! I'm sure they'll be back to mess with me again. They looked every where in my house and I mean every where. I have been keeping bugs since the early 90's with no problems. I'm close to St. Louis, MO. If anyone knows some one who can help me please PM me. I'm on a limited income because I had to take early retirement so this hurts. I was going to sell all the babies. Thanks again for all the replies. I'll keep everyone posted.

 

[drgonzo]

Go to a free consultation if they think you have a case they might take it...You do have a case.Call the police and report them stolen seriously.
It wouldn't of mattered if you consented to a search or not....They don't need warrant here Fish Game and Conservation officers don't need a warrant to search,just probable suspicion.There above the law.

 

[ftorres]

Hello,
I am sorry but there are somethings I am not clear about.
They took your scorpions and they wanted to take your centis and trap door but then how did they found out they were OK for you to keep them????

They were all arachnids except for the Centis (chilopds), I think you should go and get advise,perhaps if they see you have a good case and if they see you can win they can get their payment once you win your case.

I think there is something really strange about all this. Can you go and ask to see what ever they based on to take your scorps and to leave your centis and trap door???

It makes no sence. If you are in early retirement you can make sometime to get justice.

IF THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY!!!!!!!!!

good luck

francisco

 

[hotbugs62]

The guy said he called some one about the pedes but when I showed him on line about the scorpions he took them anyway. I don't understand it either. There were 2 conservation officers (they had no clue what was what) and this other guy. I don't want to give names out but he works for DNR. I guess he called one of the wholesalers about the bugs in question and they said to be careful of the scorpions he took. He just said that they were of medical significance so they were not allowed.

 

[kbekker]

It is possible that the state officers were assisting with a municipal law. Do you have a local ordinance that would prevent them?