THUMB DOWN: 15 wrists slapped
The score in the prosecution of people who illegally looted southern Utah archaeological sites and sold ancient artifacts is: pot hunters 15, the public and native tribes 0. Among 15 artifacts dealers tried in Judge Dee Benson’s federal court, not one has been sentenced to serve a day behind bars for their felonies. Incredibly, Benson told the latest pot hunter to appear before him that because he has "lost decades’ worth of collecting materials" and was a nice person, he would get only probation. What Vern Crites and others like him "lost" belonged to Indian tribes and were located on federal land. What about them?
A blog commenting on various aspects of the private collecting and trade in archaeological artefacts today and their effect on the archaeological record.
Saturday 13 August 2011
SLT - "Thumb Down: 15 wrists slapped"
Salt Lake Tribune's feature 'The Thumb', Aug 12 2011 discusses the leniency of the US judicial system's Four Corner Looting verdicts:
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