My CAT got stolen last week...stupid jerks...

Ouch, my condolences.

Funny, each insurance carrier I have been with said the same thing. They said it wasn't worth comp and only the bare minimum coverage will do to save $.

The problem is that driving in California is literally one decade short of Mad Max in my opinion. You know that we live with uninsured motorists or rich scumbags that drive like retards. I opt for the maximum insurance I can buy because I don't want to get sued for the difference if there is overage. I also have dash cams front and back because I've been hit before and their story changes when the cops come, assuming they even stop at all anymore. Folks may think its incredulous, yet I had a 1.5 hour one way commute daily and I've seen all of it (even an airplane crash on the freeway here).

For a catalytic converter being stolen, they will more than likely total the car out at $3K. They often ask car condition, mileage, and factor in local sales prices to come up with valuation. If its past the threshold, to the parts bin it goes.

 

Your posts are not helpful, so I'm not even going to bother anymore. You can armchair all you want from NZD. Doesn't live to the reality we live here daily.

 

Exactly. Being snarky doesn't mean its being helpful.

I'm borderline thinking about the cat shield to keep the aftermarket safe until the car leaves the state, which will be soon. Unfortunately, there is more than one crew working to steal cats here in SoCal.

 

Yup, boobytrapping in a California is a felony. You'd get more time to know Bubba in state pen than the actual car thieves themselves.

Ain't it a grand shithole we created here?

 

Yes. That will even give the prosecution completely clear element of your intent to commit the felony.

12355 (a) Except as provided in Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 12301), any person who assembles, maintains, places, or causes to be placed a boobytrap device as described in subdivision (c) is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or five years.

(b) Possession of any device with the intent to use the device as a boobytrap is punishable by imprisonment in state prison, or in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(c) For purposes of this section, "boobytrap" means any concealed or camouflaged device designed to cause great bodily injury when triggered by an action of any unsuspecting person coming across the device. Boobytraps may include, but are not limited to, guns, ammunition, or explosive devices attached to trip wires or other triggering mechanisms, sharpened stakes, and lines or wire with hooks attached.

 

And how would you define "clearly labeled hazard"? Just signage on the side of the car (what about under)? Audible warning as theft is taking place? Video warning? A diagram showing that if the would-be thieve did such, then THIS would occur?

A defense attorney can get mileage out of ANYTHING (we've seen even murder)...provided you pay them enough $$$.

At that point, cost-benefit-analysis determines that boobytrapping ain't worth the time nor the hassle. And trust me, there are times when I want to get back but can't. One day I will leave this place and go elsewhere.

 

Yes, beyond a reasonable doubt, innocent until proven guilty. Yet think of how a jury here in CA would look at theft of a car part vs. a maimed person who was only turning criminal to "feed their family" or just was "turning their life around". The boobytrap paradigm takes away the "justice" from the criminal justice system. The prosecution would argue that did the defendant have OTHER options before such actions were taken. And the propensity of the crime, a car part vs. hands, or eyes, or whatever area gets affected where that person now has a disability or loss? IIRC, there was already a state case law and finding on this. I'll have to look it up one of these days.

However, this is also a conversation about resources: the prosecution has the full resources of the GOVERNMENT backing their stance if they pursue prosecution. They can wield such resources and authority until you cry uncle.

The defendant has right to counsel, either through public or alt pub defender, which settle most cases with 9/10 plea deals, less sentence, less time. If you choose to fight, be prepared to shell out the retainer or per hour for top criminal defense attorney for no prison time (or worse, time served if you can't get approved for bail due to danger to public or flight risk).

If you were going down the boobytrap path, it would be better to place an active alarm and 4K cameras in the area of your vehicle. If can't, buy better insurance.

 

And our newly esteemed Vice President has a lot to do with some of those gone wrong (look at her track when she was State Atty Gen).

I could open up a whole other can of worms on the California Innocence Project. I'm all for it, we need to use every resource possible to exonerate those wrongly accused of crimes, especially if the newer technology indicates so.

Why does CA balk at it? They gotta pay for all the time of wrongfully convicted, and just one overturned conviction would then lead into a deeper probe of ALL cases handled by that particular law enforcement officer/agency who were just looking to bulldoze over people and bury them in the CJ system.