I'm sure some states/cities have laws about reptiles that get the size of an adult snapper. As an adult those turtles are MONSTERS...couldn't imagine keeping one in an apartment.

With the large + mean factors, I'm sure they're illegal to keep in a few places because of the possibility of fed-up owners turning their giant, mean turtles loose in order to "get rid" of them.

Edit: Just to give you an idea of it, I grew up in Florida and I knew some adult men who were more afraid of getting toes bit off by a snapper while fishing and standing in ponds than they were of getting bit by a gator...