Activist Judges

I thought you were goofy so I looked it up myself.  You weren't messing with us.  What the heck is going on down there?

It was more than one judge.  Fishing without a license and you lose your right to own or possess a firearm?  I might understand it for assault or something violent but this seems way out there.

Some of the sentences had no jail time and included a fine.  So how long is the firearm ban?  Until the fine is paid?  Forever?

You are closer to this.  Let us know if you get more information.

I've heard of this before.  Someone here on FBO got a DUI a couple of years ago in MN and lost thier gun "rights" for 5 years ------ For a first time DUI.  This is nuts and getting worse.  What's next - get a parking ticket and lost your guns for life?  Where does it end?  I actually did forsee this coming though.  When anyone convicted of a domestic assault lost thier guns, I knew that it wouldn't be long before more and more crimes were added to the list.  I know someone who got into a fight with his wife.  She slapped him first and he slapped her back.  Someone ended up calling the cops and the husband got arrested (FYI - in any domestic dispute, it doesn't matter who hits who. Anyone hits anybody and chances are 99% that it is the husband going to jail).  Ultimately the husband pled guilty under the terms of a plea agreement that he was offered.  The plea agreement stated that he recieve a deffered imposition of sentence for one year - no fine, no jail, no counseling, just stay out of trouble for one year.  After that year was up he went back into court and had the offense removed from his record (or so he thought it was removed).  Then the law got passed which took away your gun rights if you were convicted of a domestic assault.  The law was made retro-active - which by every legal standard is illegal in the first place.  Even though the guy's conviction had been removed from his record, the courts came back and took away his right to own a gun - for slapping his wife with an open hand after she had slapped him first.  I thought that was the dumbest thing I had ever heard of, but now I see people losing thier gun rights over very minor infractions.  The legislature isn't moving fast enough to take our guns, so the judges are taking it upon themselves to do it.  How long until election day?

Sportsman,
It was Jig em up Josh that had the issue with the DUI and the gun / hunting rights.  That was totally different than what you are seeing in Jamestown.

Josh's deal was unfortunate but I understand what happened.  That was a Minnesota violation and the sentence included probation.  In Minnesota, the probation for that kind of offense would not have affected his rights to own and possess firearms.  It is also not unusual for Minnesota judges to include probation in their sentences.  His problem was that North Dakota doesn't make a distinction.  Probation is probation and you can't possess firearms.  Minnesota judges really don't care if their sentences cause trouble for North Dakota residents standing in front of their bench getting sentenced for violations of Minnesota law.

The stuff in Jamestown is pretty scary and we need to find out what is really going on there.

It's more than just judges

http://www.ussportsmen.org/Page.aspx?pid=2109

Fishing without a license and loose your guns??????

Wow!!!!  Now that is ridiculous!!!!

Next thing they will do is take your guns if you get a speeding ticket!!!

Oh come on guys, we are just being right wing bigot racist conspirators.  No one is out to take your guns.  Don't worry about it...

whitetailhunter Said:
Fishing without a license and loose your guns??????

Wow!!!!  Now that is ridiculous!!!!

Next thing they will do is take your guns if you get a speeding ticket!!!

It seems so crazy.  I read the court reports myself after Sportsman brought this up.

The only thing that might make any sense is if the gun thing is ONLY there to insure that the fine gets paid.  That would certainly incent people to get it behind them.

Like I said earlier, most of the stuff in the court reports did not include jail time.  Pay the fine and it is over.  None of the firearm restrictions referenced a specific time period.

Tim Sandstrom Said:
Oh come on guys, we are just being right wing bigot racist conspirators.  No one is out to take your guns.  Don't worry about it...

Yes Tim all these judges are liberal and are out to get your guns. Worry about it.

I didn't say that Marble.  What the point is, we should be concerned at all levels and raise the appropriate discussion.  Ignorning the smallest of instances is how things get out of control.  But when we do raise questions, we are often times, labeled...right wing bigot racist conspirators.

Marbleyes Said:

Tim Sandstrom Said:
Oh come on guys, we are just being right wing bigot racist conspirators.  No one is out to take your guns.  Don't worry about it...

Yes Tim all these judges are liberal and are out to get your guns. Worry about it.

Dude, your sarcasm detector is busted or needs new batteries.

Farnorth Said:

Marbleyes Said:

Tim Sandstrom Said:
Oh come on guys, we are just being right wing bigot racist conspirators.  No one is out to take your guns.  Don't worry about it...

Yes Tim all these judges are liberal and are out to get your guns. Worry about it.

Dude, your sarcasm detector is busted or needs new batteries.

Yes, I think so too.

Yep, that was Jig-em-up-Josh who got nailed in April of 2004, I just turned 21 and thought I was "above the law" and made a terrible terrible mistake. I won't be able to hunt (including bowhunting) until May 23 2010, yes, that's 6 years.

If I had a dollar for every time somebody had some smart a$$ opinion of my situation like "there has to be more to the story," etc, I would have a buttload of dollars.

When the judge said "probation", I thought it was just unsupervised, meaning that you're good to go as long as you don't mess up. I was wrong. I paid BIGTIME for that mistake too.

I didn't know this was happening in our state though, that's too bad. I wish my wife would move to the mountains with me. Probably wouldn't be safe for long there either though.

I am glad to see a few people fired up about this, but am HUGELY dissapointed that more people are not up in arms about this.  Just sitting back and not doing or saying anything about it is a sure fired way to make sure that it keeps happening.

Farnorth:  I guess Josh's case is different, but still is something that should be protested.  ND and MN have what is called an interstate violator compact which states that each state will recognize the other's laws, rules, probations, and also intent of the law.  The intent of the probation in MN apparantly is not to restrict gun ownership in any fashion, therefore ND should honor the intent of the probation and not try to lump him into our probation rules. He is not on probation from a law violation in our state.  He is on probation for a MN violation and the intent of the probation of the other state is what should be honored - not the letter of the law probation rules for our own state.  It is a HUGE injustice that the legislators, judges, and probation people should be falling all over themselves to correct, but nothing is done about it.  That is not justice.  That is just plain wrong (I could have called it a few more fitting terms but my post would have been deleted because of them).

Farnorth,

While I was being sarcastic at a level I was more serious than anything.  But yeah, Marble took offense.  He and I enjoy each other's company on political talk.  Don't we marble? 

Tim,
You were being sarcastic to make a serious point.  I got it.  I think marble might have missed it.  I was trying to point it out in a lighthearted manner.  We Ok there, dude?

Sportsman,
I remember Josh's case well because there was a lot of discussion about it.  I make no judgements about the circumstances.  Josh got a raw deal that I doubt anybody in the legal system anticipated.  Does it really surprise you that the wheels of justice are slow to do anything about it?  One person got hosed up by a technicality and probably suffered more because he was honest.  You know how the system works as well as anybody.

I'd really like to hear more about what is going on in Jamestown.  Keep us informed.

Remember Judge Greenwood when it is time to vote,  I know lots of times these judges run unopposed.  The gun possession/ownership add on must be getting added to the sentence of people who fight the charge in court.  You don't have to go in front of a judge for fishing without a license, do you?