Legal Question????

[warthog]

I am being told by the Vigo Co sheriff my Class IIIa bullet resistant vests are not legal for me to own as I m not military nor an LEO. This is news to me, I called the Stater and my Co to ask before I bought them….anyone point me to a place to show them with a link that I can own them or not is appreciated.

If I posted this in the wrong place Mods, please move it to where it belongs.

 

[d.kaufman]

Doing some searching i cant find an actual law to the legality. All i can find is that it is a class 6 felony if wearing it during comission of a crime.
Im under the assumption that as long as you are not a felon it is legal in Indiana.
Hopefully someone can come along with actual indiana code on the matter for you

 

[actaeon277]

The law doesn't state what is "legal"
The law states what is "illegal"
Ask him to provide the law, since you can't find it.

 

[actaeon277]

https://bulletsafe.com/pages/body-armor-law-indiana

There's this, but it provides no Indiana codes. Just the federal code talking about felons.

 

[actaeon277]

IC 35-47-5-13
Unlawful use of body armor
Sec. 13.
(a) As used in this section, "body armor" means bullet resistant metal or other material worn by a person to provide protection from weapons or bodily injury.
(b) A person who knowingly or intentionally uses body armor while committing a felony commits unlawful use of body armor, a Class D felony.

 

[actaeon277]

https://www.realitycheckxtreme.com/pages/body-armor-laws
Indiana
In Indiana, any adult can purchase and use a bulletproof vest, unless that adult has been convicted of a felony. Bulletproof vests and all other body armor can be purchased online or face-to-face.

A person who knowingly or intentionally uses body armor while committing a felony commits unlawful use of body armor, a Class D felony (up until July 2014, when a new law takes effect). The new law states that a person who knowingly or intentionally uses body armor while committing a felony commits unlawful use of body armor, a Level 6 felony. Again, this law effects criminals, not retailers.

 

[K_W]

I am being told by the Vigo Co sheriff my Class IIIa bullet resistant vests are not legal for me to own as I m not military nor an LEO. This is news to me, I called the Stater and my Co to ask before I bought them….anyone point me to a place to show them with a link that I can own them or not is appreciated.

If I posted this in the wrong place Mods, please move it to where it belongs.

INAL but I suspect this is just another case of cops being terrible lawyers.

Contact Guy Relford.

 

[actaeon277]

Well, this is the "IndyStar" so take it with a grain of salt

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2014/09/19/guess-weapons-illegal-indiana/15844701/

Bulletproof vests
Can I own them? Yes.
While not technically a weapon, possession and use of body armor by civilians can be controversial. At least one congressman has reportedly proposed banning body armor on a federal level. In Indiana, you can own and wear a bulletproof vest, but state law says "a person who knowingly or intentionally uses body armor while committing a felony" is guilty of another felony, a Level 6.

 

[KellyinAvon]

I guess us lowly citizens can't own an armored vehicles either

 

[Trigger Time]

They are wrong. Unless you use them in a crime or are a fellon.

 

[1mil-high]

IANAL but can read IC Code. They are not illegal unless used in commission of a felony. Heck, if it were illegal to merely own lots of us would be in trouble.

I would be interested in the context of this however. How did he even know that you owned this protection?

 

[warthog]

Thanks, I just had them at home, never wore it let alone committed any felonies so I hope to get them back eventually.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Wouldn't this be something for your lawyer to handle vs. INGOers?

 

[KLB]

Thanks, I just had them at home, never wore it let alone committed any felonies so I hope to get them back eventually.

They confiscated them?

 

[jagee]

Wouldn't this be something for your lawyer to handle vs. INGOers?

Quiet, you.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Wouldn't this be something for your lawyer to handle vs. INGOers?

Yes, but sometimes INGO can be used to flesh out whether the discussion needs to be had with said attorney or if its a waste of time.

And yes, Sheriff needs to show his work. I've never heard of any such nonsense outside of "during the commission of a crime". Never heard of mere possession being criminal.

 

[HoughMade]

Wouldn't this be something for your lawyer to handle vs. INGOers?

At at least .1 hours for every phone call?

 

[Slapstick]

Thanks, I just had them at home, never wore it let alone committed any felonies so I hope to get them back eventually.

So what your really saying is that your body armor was better than the Sheriff Deputy's so he confiscated it. I wonder if from his point of view he just got an upgrade in equipment at no cost?

 

[bwframe]

 

[4651feeder]

Am inclined to think any Sheriff willing to confiscate said items would not be inclined to return same items on verbal argument from grieved party.

While I'm not a lawyer and don't give out legal advice...I am better looking than most I see in televised commercial and figured I'd share my handsome opinion as a means to bookmark this thread.