The problem with horrible timing...

[Farto the Magic]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][COLOR=DarkGreen]Ok, so me and a friend just got back from a hiking trip in the Badlands in South Dakota. While we were hiking, we would see teeth and bones and stuff sticking up from the sand, so we would take them to my car. Its illegal to collect fossils from there, so we knew that we were going to turn them in. We started finding stuff on Friday, and intended on turning them in on Sunday, which was the last day of the trip. Until then, we were going to gawk at them, because when was the last time we were going to see a...whatever that thing is? So, we collected three specimens, with the intent of turning them in on Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday morning, we got caught by a park ranger, who took them and gave us a court date. Yeah. This sucks ***, no? Now I have to miss a day of school and drive five-hundred miles to a court, where they'll try and decide how much money in fossils we stole, and how much we would have to pay. No jail time, just money. So, by collecting the **** things, with the intention of handing them over, we've been screwed over by bad timing.

Any advice?[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Mythologicly]

All I can say is just tell the truth and pray to god that they believe you and your friend. Don?t worry though these things have a way of working them selves out.

[Kenshin DX]

There's really nothing you can do in this type of situation or any help anyone can offer unless you talk to your lawyer or someone who knows the legal system well. Tough luck bro.

[Rachmaninoff]

I have to wonder about one thing, if it's illegal to collect them in the first place, what made you think they would be happy with you just turning the fossils in? Don't most national parks forbid any type of collection like that? Even if the person intends to turn them in?

We have five national parks here in Utah and that policy applies to all of them whether it's fossils or part of the features. You don't touch and you most definitely wouldn't collect them to turn in. In fact if I remember correctly they all have a disclaimer in the park brochures that goes along these lines:

[INDENT]Leave fossils, flowers, rocks, and animals where you find them. Collecting in the park is illegal and punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment.[/INDENT]
So if that's the case, I don't know what to tell you since most national parks in the US have a similar policy and saying you intended to turn them in won't help since you aren't suppose to touch them in the first place.

[Sazumechan]

Im so sorry that happened to you.you just have to go with it and hope that you dont get into to much trouble.just dont try to cover it up with lies that will just make things worse.so like i said tell the truth and just ride it out.

[Sandy]

[quote name='Farto the Magic][FONT=Trebuchet MS][COLOR=DarkGreen] Its illegal to collect fossils from there, so we knew that we were going to turn them in. [/COLOR'][/FONT][/quote]

That one sentence prooves that you deserve whatever fines are on your way. For a future reference, if you know something is illegal, [I]don't do it[/I].

It's like you know robbing a store is illegal, yet you do it anyway and then decide to give back everything you stole in hopes of getting off the hook. Only on a smaller, almost pathetic, scale.

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]Yeah I mean.. you should have thought that through a bit. What were you going to say when you turned them in? "Here's some evidence we broke the law, see ya." [/color]

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=#0e1030][SIZE=1][FONT=Trebuchet MS]Goodness Sandy, you didn't have to bite his head off just because he made a mistake.

On topic though there really isn't anything you could do in such a situation. It would have been better just to have go and say "Hey, we found some fossils over here, you should look at them". But if it really was against the law and whoever it was who caught you really though you were trying to steal it then you are really out of luck.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Sandy]

I wonder how I bit his head off, Ikillion? It was a stupid thing to do, and instead of getting our compassion for it, he should realize that.

...Oh gag, I just realized that I'm starting to sound like Simon Cowell. [I]No more American Idol for me![/I]

[Farto the Magic]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][COLOR=DarkGreen]Hm. I suppose Sandy is right, even if she seemed crass about it. I shouldn't have messed with them. I suppose the only thing I can hope for is a small fine.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Everything I've heard about such things as far as National Parks go is exactly as Rachmaninoff described. And if you were planning to turn them in you might have been thinking that since you wouldn't be collecting them in the end that it would be all right.

I'd explain that to who ever you talk to, tell them how you knew it was illegal to collect them and that's why you planned on turning them in. Then be sure to apologize for not realizing that you shouldn't have touched them in the first place.

Let them know that you wanted to enjoy seeing the fossils and that you didn't think about the damage to the park at the time. Then if the park is close to where you live ask if there is anything you can do as far as volunteer work goes, in addition to paying any fines for the damage you did.

Just be as honest and upfront in admitting you were wrong as possible. That's really the best you can do. I don't know how they will react, but I'm fairly certain trying to weasel your way out would only make things worse. Either way, best of luck.[/COLOR]