Secret Compartments in Vehicle
Safely Stowing Materials in Your Vehicle May be a Crime in Ohio
Picture this: a 63 year-old man driving a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado is stopped by a patrol trooper on I-71. Police discover that when the ignition is turned on and the brake pedal, seat lever and dashboard switches are tapped, a secret compartment behind the vehicle's taillight is revealed. The compartment, in this case, is filled with cocaine.
Not many would argue against penalties associated with the drug filled secret compartment, but what if instead it was filled with valuable tools used in case of an emergency? Or if the driver had a concealed carry license and chose to store his gun there, safely hidden from his grandchildren?
A newly proposed Ohio law would not distinguish between these scenarios, but would provide a broad umbrella of drug crime penalties to anyone who owns a vehicle with hidden compartments, regardless of what kind of contents are stored.
Details of Proposed Law
The proposed piece of legislations would make it a fourth-degree felony to own a vehicle with these secret compartments. Owners of vehicles which contain hidden compartments could face imprisonment of 18 months and a monetary fine of $5,000.
Advocates of the bill argue that compartments are used by drug traffickers. Although adding penalties to those convicted of trafficking drugs for having these compartments may make sense, the bill goes a step further.
Instead of focusing on the intent to curb drug dealers by including a caveat that drugs, drug paraphernalia or even a confirmation that drugs were once present by a drug trained canine be found, the bill makes it a crime for anyone to have hidden storage units, even if there is no connection drug transport.
Further, the compartment is broadly defined as any artificially added "space, box or other closed container." As a result, the hidden-compartment law could be interpreted to include spaces used to safely stow valuables or a legal personal defense weapon.
Hopefully,
If you or a loved one is charged with a crime, no matter what the nature of it is, it is important to seek the counsel of an experienced criminal defense attorney to better ensure that your legal rights are protected.