Stephann
Posts: 4214
Joined: 12/27/2006 From: Portland, OR Status: offline
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This sounds like a Bar exam question. Often times, we do things, or are in a state that is illegal. In part, it is not the act itself, but being found guilty of that act that is important. There is no inherent danger in having expired registration tags, if you have new tags coming in the mail; yet technically you are in violation of the law. Does it matter? Yes; only because if every individual did this, the system would collapse. (ahem.) In the US, in most states, consent is not a valid defense for assault. There are many reasons for this; a person cannot consent to a bare knuckle fist fight in a bar, for example. We can not face off with pistols to ten paces and shoot each other. A wife cannot 'consent' to her husband beating her with a belt because he's angry and drunk. It isn't simply because of the individuals involved, but also because of collateral damage; the fistfight could easily damage property and incite other fighting, the individual in the duel could miss and shoot a bystander, and children who are forced to watch their mother beaten can quite possibly become targets (nevermind the emotional damage.) This means, for us, our activites will often be construed to be illegal. How that plays out, though, will depend on the community; ranging from prison time, to mandatory counseling or time in a mental hospital, to a slap on the wrist, to having the case thrown out. It all depends on the individuals who's lap it actually falls in. In no small part, will be 'how' the crime was brought to the attention of the community. If the submissive dies, or must be broken free from the cage by firefighters, there's a pretty good bet the Dom/me in question is looking at jail time. If the submissive, after the fact, runs to the police station and cries foul, than emails, chat logs, photographs, mutual lifestyle friends, etc etc will all play a major role in resulting to, essentially, an unwinnable case by the prosecution. The prosecution could certainly have the man or woman arrested anyway, and attempt to strong arm a confession or guilty plea, but it's highly unlikely such a case would fly in a trial. After all, every single time the submissive has said "I want this" will be shown to the jury, and the 'victim' will end up being put on trial. It's not unlike rape cases of yesteryear. Which brings us back to LA's comments; dominants, make sure you absolutely trust who you play with, and especially in the context of the laws where you are from. Stephan
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Nosce Te Ipsum "The blade itself incites to violence" - Homer Men: Find a Woman here
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