I understand the there are rules against asking how to break the law (“How do I make meth at home”), but what if its purely theoretical and more from a legal perspective?
Precisley, I’d like to GQ regarding federal murder statutes and what would happen if you were to kill someone at “Four Corners” and some variations ie, they’re in one state, you in another; they’re straddling a stateline, you’re in a third; things like that. 'course it would all be moot if there is a federal murder statute, but my understanding is that it only applies to federal employees (ie Okla City), hence my question.
So could I post that? If not, am I gonna get in trouble for asking if I can ask?
Well that isn’t a question about how to break the law, it is a question about what the law is in a particular situation.
You are not asking how to kill someone, but rather you realise that the law would still be able to deal with the situation, and you are just asking how it would deal with it.
I don’t see a problem with that type of question, but you can always email a Moderator direct if you are unsure.
There’s also a question of feasibility. We have, in the past, had questions on topics like “How would one go about destroying the planet, on a budget of $83?”. While I’m sure that that would break a few laws, it was still considered acceptable.
The League of Green Lanterns has responsibility for maintaining order in the galaxy, and if you destroy the earth, they’ll getcha.
OK, so to the OP. There’s not always a clear guideline. For things like illegal drugs, we allow discussion of the medical effects (say) but not how to acquire them.
Probably acceptable: Does quicklime really dissolve a body? I read in an Agatha Christie about killing someone by injecting air into their veins, does this really work? What would happen if I put sugar in the gas tank of a car? Can I remove the tag from the mattress that says “It is illegal to remove this tag”? What would happen if a Siamese twin committed murder?
Probably Not Acceptable: How would I go about hiring a hit-man? What would happen if I put sugar in the gas tank of my ex-spouse’s car? I’ve got a VHS copy of MATRIX 2, where’s the best place to sell it? I can’t quite get the green color right on the counterfeit money I’m printing up, what have others done?
Having said that, there’s a fine line between the acceptable discussion of the law and the unacceptable discussion that “fosters illegal activity” (a violation of our rules.)
One trick: If you’re unsure, add a disclaimer. “Of course breaking and entering is illegal, but I was wondering how secure those new YZZK deadbolts are?” No guarantees that will ensure that your question is acceptable, but it couldn’t hurt.
