Goody, to dissect your answer point by point:
"It seems no one wants to be the test case in court....."
Was there some sort of council, amongst md'rs, to decide on this? And after this council, no one raised their hand? My hunch is that this is not the case at all, and that those who are fighting this, are doing so because they believe the interpretation is relevant. I mean, they probably really do believe that the law forbids them now, simply because some archie told them so. Poll the panel there amongst the persons fighting this, and I bet you that what I'm saying will come as a surprise to them, that they are fighting something that isn't illegal, to begin with. And thus I think if this truth were made known there certainly WOULD be someone willing to be a "test case". Because it is FAR less difficult to get something done on the judicial means, than it is to get new laws. And I mean, think of it: why would someone need a "law over-turned" or a "new law allowing something" if there was
never a prohibition, to begin with? It simply can't be legally done, I would think, since no such prohibition exists (except if you want to detect on archaeological sites anyhow, but no, not "all public land"). Plug in the 55mph example: In the same way, no one needs to get a law over-turned that forbids them from going 55,
If there were no such law to begin with. Nor do they need a new law
allowing going 55,
If that's what the law already says.
So I don't think it's a case of no one willing to be the guinee pig. I think it's a case of mis-information on the part of md'rs there.
"
Once the cops have been called it's a trespassing matter, not a detecting one"
Uh, correct me if I'm wrong, but there MUST be some connection made on the ticket paperwork, to metal detecting. Because the ONLY reason a cop could say you were "trespassing", is because you were "detecting" right? The ticket
HAS to deal with metal detecting, on some level. Because truth is, if you were just standing there bird-watching or flying a frisbee, then you would not be "trespassing", right? Sure you move on, I'm not saying to defy the order. But you merely ask the cop for a ticket, and then you'll move on. They'll be happy to oblige you with no force, etc... If done with a smile, and even a notice ahead of time (to tell them ahead of time that you'll be in the park on such & such date) is the way to do it. And you'll get your chance to tell the judge you were not "trespassing", even if that is vocabulary is used. So it's a mute point whether it's called "metal detecting" or "trespassing", it's still gets the day in court to be heard.
"
The parks have even accused the detectorists of vandalism for digging in the vegetation. (grass) "
Now you're talking a whole other topic Goody. A separate matter entirely. A topic which is true for ANY park or school yard in the USA, as to whether we "vandalize" or "deface" or whatever. That is on another level, and totally separate from this conversation. Not that it doesn't deserve discussion too, but at another time, on another thread. There's been many threads on this topic, but it is a separate matter. If the Louisville park people alleged this too, that's fine, but it's still another topic, and NOT the one that's what started this thread. And NOT the one that is what md'rs are fighting about. So for purposes of discussion, to keep from mixing topics, let's keep it on the topic of whether or the law, as it currently stands. Let's assume we're talking about a guy who intends to only part the grass and pick up items on top of the ground, for sake of argument. If you want to start another thread on the issue of the retrieval process, let's start a separate thread.
"I think the Ky folks want the parks to have it in no uncertain terms that ..... there is specific legislation in place that is not ambiguous or subject to interpretation"
Right! And that's exactly what md'rs routinely get when they go seeking clarifications, sanctions, blessings, and so forth. Thinking they're doing their hobby good, what they end up getting instead is specific language "to address their pressing issue"! I've seen this happen again and again, and sometimes, when the outright "no's" or "rules invented to address or clarify their question" get passed down, the folks who fought end up realizing they've done more harm, than good! I know it's a catch-22, because if someone, somewhere, ran afoul in a single city, by a single gardener or cop, then the knee-jerk reaction is to think "we must fight this". Seems to me, that it's sometimes better to avoid "just that one person", before you end up getting legions of upper level staff, to merely become aware, conjure up mental images of geeks with shovels stealing our past, and so forth. Now instead of 1 cop or gardener having his panties in a wad, now you get the archies involved in the question, and downhill it goes
For example: how about other cities in KY, besides Louisville? I bet if I were to go to KY now, and pick some podunk little town far from Louisville, and waltz in to the sandbox with my metal detector, that no one would care less, right? BUT WAIT!! If I asked the archie in state capitol "can I?" what do you think he would say?

Moral of the story??
