I honestly can't believe that the prosecutors in San Mateo and Santa Clara county issued a secret search warrant and raided the home of the writer who found the device. It's an Apple employee who lost the device, and the police twisted very old and outdated rules to suit their needs.
Under a California law dating back to 1872, any person who finds lost property and knows who the owner is likely to be but "appropriates such property to his own use" is guilty of theft. If the value of the property exceeds $400, more serious charges of grand theft can be filed. In addition, a second state law says that any person who knowingly receives property that has been obtained illegally can be imprisoned for up to one year. $400 back in 1872 I would have to assume meant a lot more than $400 now.
This isn't the first time the police, judge, and their counterparts stepped out of bounds. And if the police haven't stepped out of bounds of what they can and cannot do, then why aren't they raiding the homes of suspected criminals for every single case of lost or stolen Apple iPhones? Why are they only making an effort when it's Apple on the line?
I seriously wish Gizmodo sues the shit out of San Mateo and Santa Clara county. I'm ashamed I'm a tax payer and wish there was an option where I can select not to fund either one of those defunct organizations. This goes back to my other issue. The police and prosecutor community is fairly inbred. They are mostly unionized and heavily paid. In addition, they don't really add much value to the society they service. They mainly pick on people without the ability to fight back and prey on the public's fear in order to keep their jobs.
In light of this economy, I think we should start doing some cost cutting and lay of a chunk of these guys in order for us to balance our budget. Let them experience what the rest of us are feeling.
Source and here.
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