Posted on 02/08/2008 9:02:17 AM PST by kiriath_jearim
Hoping to reverse an "alarming trend," two Florida state lawmakers, both Democrats, have introduced a bill that would require stiffer mandatory sentences for criminals who use semiautomatic or automatic weapons.
The legislation also targets criminals who fraudulently acquire assault weapons and sellers who "know or should have known the buyer was using false identification."
In a Feb. 6 news release announcing the bill, State Senator Gwen Margolis and Representative Evan Jenne mentioned a case in September, where a 25-year-old fugitive shot and killed a Miami-Dade police officer with a semi-automatic rifle.
In 2006, there were 19 reported homicides involving assault weapons in Miami-Dade County alone, the lawmakers said.
The bills introduced in both the Florida House and Senate (SB 782/HB 425) would require a mandatory life sentence for a criminal who uses a semi-automatic or automatic weapon during the commission of a crime, resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
Criminals using those weapons to commit crimes that do not involve death or injury would get a minimum 25 years in prison.
And criminals who use false identification or identity theft to buy or sell a semi-automatic or automatic weapon -- even if they do not use it to commit a crime -- will face up to 15 years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines.
"Current law is not effectively assisting law enforcement in getting illegally obtains guns off the street. Our intent is to provide law enforcement with the tools necessary to keep the public safe," said Jenne.
The lawmakers said they hope to "break the supply chain and reduce the number of illegally obtained guns in our communities."
The legislation has the support of the Miami-Dade Police Department, the Florida Police Chiefs Association, the Florida Sheriff's Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the Police Benevolent Association, the lawmakers said.
However, Second Amendment groups are expected to reject the legislation. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel quoted one lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, who called the proposal flawed.
‘Zactly!
...the obvious lesson here is use the wheel-gun, not the glock and get out sooner to rob/rape/murder another day
Good question. I wonder what kinds of weasel definitions they wrote into that clause? I don't say that I like that part of the legislation.
Ok, let me sort this one out.
Little .22 auto pistol = bad, throw the book at him
Bolt action anti-tank rifle = ok, normal sentence
Hm...
Does anyone know the number or name of the bill?
I would like it when I write to my state reps.
Thanks
Yeah, cause your 9mm or .45 acp semi auto is so much deadlier than my .454 causel or .460, or .480 or .500 revolver. NOT!
Anybody have the numbers for the Florida legislators? This is one where the asshats should hear from the people. Putting a homeowner away for life for using a semi-automatic pistol, or someone that feels threatened in a parking lot or a walk in the neighborhood, MANDATORY, is *&%%$ing wacked.
It should be a keep it simple stupid decision. Anyone committing a crime with any weapon, knife or gun—any— should receive the death sentence to be carried out within 30 days. Period. There is no fear now of getting caught, because there is no penalty. Oh, you are going to send them to jail? Big Deal. Jails are not punishment to these type of people. They only understand force.
Yes, I realize that this will never happen but it would surely solve most of the problems. One of my detractors got in my face a while back and said Capital punishment never rehabilitated anyone. I said Yes, that is why they call it Capital PUNISHMENT.
If one is going to define any semi-automatic weapon as an assault weapon, probably most of them. If fact, under this defination when my father gave me his Browning shotgun as my 16 birthday gift (the same gun his father gave him on his 16 birthday) he was giving me an assault weapon. The only thing it ever assaulted though was deer, rabbits and ground hogs.
I don't know if I would take it that far, but I agree with the basic reasoning. I don't have a problem with swift and serious punishment for criminals. I just disagree that we should have increased penalties for stupid, arbitrary reasons. Especially when you can get illogical outcomes like the one I described.
...I said Yes, that is why they call it Capital PUNISHMENT.
Nice! Mind if I borrow that one some time?
Are these guys in the pay of pump-action and wheelgun makers?
Whole point is to single out some “weapons” as more of a problem than other weapons, and scare the shit out of the city folk ants. Get “some” weapons banned, lay back a while, then come back again, and scare the dumbasses again. They will fall for it, most of the time! They can’t survive, outside the hive!
American city folks are more afraid of wild American
Rednecks, than they are of Stoneage muslim barbarians, I reckon that they figure that all they need to do to keep a muslim from slitting their throat is to bend over and whimper.
Day, by day, the major urban centers make ever more concessions to the barbarians.
They don’t speak for this Redneck, and they never will!
The American Urban folks are supposed to have a lock on compassion, empathy, sympathy, whatever, but, what really drives them is the knowledge that just as soon as they stop paying bribes the Barbarians will eat their lunch, and rape their daughters!
Hell, Folks, Rudy gets credit for all kinds of miracles, none of them possible, as if the sawed off little turkey ever gave a damn about The Constitution, in the first place, and Rudy ain’t the only one!
Want your big urban social problems solved? Boolshat, y’all don’t have the balls to do it!
Bees, and Ants, you are, just go along to get along, nothing matters, beyond your goddamn bank account!
Y’all have exploited us too much already, shame on us!
If my freezer was empty, and my power was turned off, and my bank account was shut down, no money in it, oh, well, last time it happened I survived it, I can do it again.
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