... that will probably bore everyone other than the lawyers -----

It is a principle of statutory construction (that's lawyer talk for "trying to figure out what the hell the legislature meant when they passed this ambiguous law") that criminal statutes are strictly construed against the government. That is, if you want to make conduct criminal, you'd better say so it clear, unequivocal language.

The Hobby Protection Act, at least insofar as it imposes criminal penalties, would therefore have to be strictly construed -- that is, any ambiguity in the statute would have to be resolved in favor of a criminal defendant.

Frankly, it is a well-intended law that was poorly written. ----- jim o\-S