Fireworks seized from former bridal shop

[displayfireworks1]

This is a story out of my home state of Pennsylvania I going to try to follow. Pennsylvania went full Consumer Fireworks legal in 2017. If I remember the legislation correctly , up to either 600 or 1000 lbs of Consumer Fireworks can be stored without restriction. Selling the full line of Consumer Fireworks is limited to licensed "Brick and Mortar" stores only. Tents are limited to ground based items.
.
https://www.wnep.com/video/news/local/lackawanna-county/hundreds-of-fireworks-seized-from-former-bridal-shop/523-47119caa-7f48-40fb-ba6d-e38b193e03b0
.
.

[rer07]

I’ve seen cakes and artillery shells sold at several flea markets in Western PA the last year and a half. Not sure how these individuals haven’t been caught yet.

[jknepp1954]

This is a story out of my home state of Pennsylvania I going to try to follow. Pennsylvania went full Consumer Fireworks legal in 2017. If I remember the legislation correctly , up to either 600 or 1000 lbs of Consumer Fireworks can be stored without restriction. Selling the full line of Consumer Fireworks is limited to licensed "Brick and Mortar" stores only. Tents are limited to ground based items.
.
https://www.wnep.com/video/news/local/lackawanna-county/hundreds-of-fireworks-seized-from-former-bridal-shop/523-47119caa-7f48-40fb-ba6d-e38b193e03b0
.
.

There is no such part of the current legislation that gives a pound limit. If there is in this case -would be on the local level....

[jamisonlm3]

jknepp1954, that is what I was curious about. The bridal shop was no longer in business and the fireworks look like they were just being stored there. Unless there are local or state laws that mandate how consumer fireworks are to be stored, I'm not sure why the police saw fit to take them. Then again, maybe they were in an area like where I live, legal in the state, but basically banned in my city? Either way, If they were being sold from that location, that is a different matter.

[Birdman]

Interesting because I am not aware of any limits or regulations on storing consumer fireworks for personal use. Not that I've looked into it at all. It sure would be nice to know what these limits are because I could have very well been over that limit at one time or another. Only thing I can think of is that because it was commercial property this somehow changes it from being stored for personal use to commercial use? Also, if there is a weight limit, is that limit placed on powder or does it also include construction materials such as cardboard and wood? Seems to me a good lawyer could easily get these charges dismissed unless there's something specific in the law that hasn't turned up yet. My guess is that they make a plea bargain where the owner gets a slap on the wrist and the cops get to brag how they potentially saved lives and damages to property....oh and they get to have fun "destroying" the "contraband".

[BMoore]

This will be an interesting one to follow. Unless they have evidence that the owner was illegally selling I don't see that they have a case. I suspect this is kind of like a drug case where law enforcement arbitrarily determined that the quantity must mean there was intent to distribute. The problem with that is most people have no concept of what some people spend on consumer fireworks.

[Engineer Cat]

There does appear to be residential apartments on top of the stores on the first level so maybe that's part of the reason for the confiscation.

However they don't appear to think there is much danger with these because they pack them into an open top trailer and drive away with nothing on the trailer stating 1.4g or any other markings.

A rouge cigarettes from a passing car could land in the back of the thing. lol

[RalphieJ]

In a similar case near me a number of years ago, a shipping container full of 1.4 fireworks were seized by combined authorities (AKA Rudy Giuliani's Fireworks Interdiction Task Force). For 2 1/2 years the trial kept getting adjourned (through 3 Fourth of July's. Can you guess what's coming?). When they finally came to trial, the defense's attorney asked for evidence to be presented by the prosecution. In spite of strenuous objections from the DA, the Judge agreed, and with that the prosecution asked for a dismissal. Because everyone knew that by this time, the container had been stripped clean of it's contents. True story folks, can't make this stuff up............

[Arclight]

You can drive with up to 1,000lbs of 1.4 or 1.5 unplacarded in most places.

[displayfireworks1]

You can drive with up to 1,000lbs of 1.4 or 1.5 unplacarded in most places.

Thank you for mentioning that. Please correct me if I am wrong on this. Where 1.3 products are calculated using pyro weight, 1.4 product are calculated using the total weight of everything. In other words a 500 Gram cake does not just add 500 Grams to that 1,000 lbs. The weight of the entire cake is used in the calculation.
.
Back to the thread news story. If anything on this case in Pennsylvania, the charge that may stick is "Risking a Catastrophe". That comes from mention the back door to the building was not locked and in theory someone could have easily walked in a lite one up.