Maine game wardens should be required to have a valid reason to stop ATV riders, just as police officers need justification to stop cars, a lawyer for a Mars Hill man told the justices of the state supreme court on today.

An attorney for the state, however, argued that ATVs are different because they pose unique risks to public land and natural resources.

Both sides agree that the court's upcoming decision on the case -- which stemmed from a game warden's stop of 51-year-old Brent McKeen on the night of Aug. 5, 2007 -- will have a major impact for ATV enthusiasts and law officers in the woods and trails of Maine.

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court heard oral arguments in Portland from Alan Harding, who represents McKeen, and Todd Collins, an assistant district attorney in Aroostook County.

To learn more about the case, visit http://bit.ly/bUt5

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