Aren't bureaucrats wonderful?

"It's the law!" "It's the law!" "It's the law!" :
Well it's also against the law for the people to hire a guide that is not property licensed! You can be cited for criminal assistance in the third degree! Negligence is no excuse to break the law, or help in the process of breaking the law.

When you hire a guide, you are assisting him by payment for a service. If you "knowingly hire a person" who you know is not legally licensed, then you too should be charged under RCW 9A.76.090 Rendering criminal assistance in the third degree.
(1) A person is guilty of rendering criminal assistance in the third degree if he renders criminal assistance to a person who has committed a gross misdemeanor or misdemeanor.
(2) Rendering criminal assistance in the third degree is a misdemeanor.

So why didn't those WDFW enforcement officers nail some of these guys customers too?

No, that would really be bad PR and they know better then to do that. Unless the guides lies and tells them that he has all the correct licenses, they are just as guilty as he is, and should also be cited for rendering criminal assistance and have there day in court too. Everyone knows that guides are required by law to have their appropriate guide stickers posted in plain sight so that the officers can clearly see who is or is not guiding…right?

So if you don't see a "Charter license" or a non resident Oregon "6 pack inland Coastal waters License." posted in plain sight, on the guides boat, chances are the guide doesn't have one…right? So shouldn't the client be responsible because he is paying this guy to commit a "gross misdemeanor" (the law is the law).

Lots of people hire these guys because they know they are not licensed and most of them are far cheaper then the "charter licensed" boys are. I can just hear you screaming right now!! The ball bounces both ways, but enforcement isn't going to enforce that part of the law, and you know it. But remember, the "law is the law" and if the client doesn't like it, he should work on changing it!

OK, lets hears those rebuttals now….but remember, the law is the law!!

PS; Plunker; who do you think might have been responsible for pushing RCW 77.70.050 thought? Do you kind of think it just might have been those good old charters boys who have all that "caring" interest for us fishermen?


Cowlitzfisherman