I've always thought that the phrase "taking the law in your own hands" oxymoronic. I would prefer "taking an alternate path to justice." Picture a diagram with the word "Act" at the top and the word "Justice" at the bottom and in between a complex maze with many outlets nowhere justice--depending on how much money you have, race or national origin, who you know or your lawyer knows, how much you contributed to some politician, etc. (and yes, one outlet to justice.) Now draw one line around the whole mess between the Act and Justice--an alternate path.

(This explanation usually excused me from being chosen for a jury.)

Wow!!! Go Josie! Articulate, rational and logical.

“We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force.”
Ayn Rand

Haha she's an anarchist at heart, though a different breed than me.

I like her!
but watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1t9xBe0w...
she is certainly not Objectivist.

Sometimnes it is the right thing to do - break the law. However when you do this, be aware that those that passed the law have an enforcement arm that will persue you and arrest you if you violate the law.
There are laws passed by politicians and there are common laws and there are societal norms that let a society function. Breaking these laws has repercussions that one must be aware of when you break the law. Know what you are doing when you do it.