🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1990Sep10.012530.4008@cs.rochester.edu> yamauchi@granite.cs.rochester.edu (Brian Yamauchi) writes:
   In article <11522@medusa.cs.purdue.edu>, spaf@cs.purdue.EDU (Gene Spafford) writes:
      The seizure of equipment at Steve Jackson Games may well turn
      out to be a terrible abuse by Federal investigators.  

   Suppose this all turns out to be a big mistake -- is the SS going
   to be held responsible for repairing all the damage it has
   inflicted?  ...can Steve Jackson (and other victims) sue the SS
   (and other agencies) for his losses?  If he does, what are his
   chances (assuming he and his employees are not charged/convicted)?

About two years ago (exact references upon request, they're at home
and I'm at the office), a small civil airplane was proceeding under
Visual Flight Rules by a private pilot between two small Florida
airports.  During his landing rollout, the pilot found his craft
suddenly and uncontrollably flipping onto its back.  Upon extricating
himself from the fuel-soaked wreckage, he was glad to see men in
uniform nearby, and he began to approach them seeking assistance.

The men in uniform were Customs agents (another branch of the Treasury
department).  They had been closely following the small airplane,
without the pilot's knowledge, for some distance.  They had just
landed their helicopter near the small airplane, and the rotor wash
caused it to flip.  Thankfully, there was no fire.

The pilot was instructed to lie on the ground while his airplane was
thoroughly searched.  When no drug-related contraband was found, the
agents bid him farewell and departed.  The aircraft was destroyed - a
total loss, useful only for component salvage.

When the pilot tried to sue the Customs Service for the damages caused
to his airplane, he was denied permission.  His insurance company
declined to pay because the damage was the result of government
action.

The main difference that I (a pilot, but not a lawyer) can see between
the airplane-flipping incident and SJG's is that, so far as I know, SJ
was never in mortal danger.