I'm wondering:
(1) What was the nature of the crimes in
question? The decision references the defendants being searched at customs
stations. I would have thought that a smuggling bust would have been
prosecuted in the federal court, seemingly making the issue of the location of
the 49th moot.
(2) Unless I missed it, the decision didn't
reference the actual distance between the international boundary and the 49th
along the line of longitude where the crime took place. In other words, how
big is the alleged "No Man's Land" running north-south? The BM along the
coast at Point Roberts is marked as being on the 49th parallel...any opinions as
to the accuracy of latitude at that location?
Interesting reading...as a non-lawyer, I
wish I had a better understanding of the legal cites!
Bill