§ 3609. Transportation of trees; evidence

A person found transporting upon a public highway one or more pine, spruce, hemlock, cedar, or other evergreen trees, under such condition or circumstances as to reasonably justify any police officer or a person from whom trees of such type have been stolen, or his or her employees, to believe that such trees have been stolen or taken without the consent of the owner, such police officer, person, or his or her employees, or any of them, may stop the person transporting such trees and interrogate such person as to where and from whom he or she obtained such trees and ask such person to produce a bill of sale or a writing showing his or her rightful possession of such trees. If the person interrogated fails to produce a bill of sale or writing showing his or her rightful possession of such trees or refuses to answer such interrogations, or if his or her answers to such interrogations are false, it shall be prima facie evidence that such person has stolen such trees and upon conviction for such an offense he or she shall be imprisoned for not more than six months or fined not more than $300.00, or both. (Amended 1959, No. 199.)