[meteorite-list] Lorton Meteorite

[Jeff Grossman]

I'm puzzled by why so many of you seem to think the Smithsonian is 
playing such an active role in this. First of all, the meteorite was 
brought to them for identification; the SI did not make some kind of 
power play to get it.  And there is no indication that they are making a 
power play to keep it.  From talking to their people right after the 
fall and when I visited this week, it's clear that they would be pleased 
if the meteorite ended up in the National Meteorite Collection.  But I 
have not seen or read any evidence that they are in any way fighting to 
prevent others from getting it back, legally or politically.   People 
should just relax and wait to see how this plays out before jumping to 
conclusions.

Jeff

On 2010-02-05 9:39 PM, Phil Whitmer wrote:
> Hiya Carl, gun lovers and haters:
>
> I was merely stating the law as it now stands. If a meteorite falls on 
> your property, you own it.  An open and shut case.  If the Smithsonian 
> wants to appeal to the Supreme Court, the Court could possibly rule 
> that current meteorite laws are unconstitutional. It's extremely 
> unlikely they would hear the case. It's highly unlikely even a Circuit 
> judge would strike down current meteorite laws as unconstitutional. Or 
> any judge for that matter. The Smithsonian has the lawyers and the 
> funding of the federal gov't backing them, they could try to argue the 
> laws are unconstitutional, highly unlikely as there is practically no 
> chance they would win.
>
> What they could do is go straight to the President and get either a 
> presidential decree or have the Justice Dep't  write some memos like 
> they did legalizing torture. Again not a chance.
>
> More likely they could get a Congressman to introduce a bill changing 
> the meteorite laws, but it would never make it out of the first round 
> of sub-committes.
>
> Possession  might be nine tenths of the law, but I'll be dollars to 
> donuts the Smithsonian gives it back.
>
>
> Phil Whitmer
> ______________________________________________
> Visit the Archives at 
> http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html
> Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
>


-- 
Dr. Jeffrey N. Grossman       phone: (703) 648-6184
US Geological Survey          fax:   (703) 648-6383
954 National Center
Reston, VA 20192, USA