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Posted on 05/15/2012 3:40:59 AM PDT by marktwain
STARKVILLE - District Attorney Forrest Allgood said the decision to prosecute former Mississippi State University student Jeffrey Hill for possession of a weapon by a student on educational property should not be perceived as an "anti-gun" prosecution.
Hill, 42, was convicted in circuit court in April on the charges and was sentenced to three years in prison and fined $1,200. A previous trial on the charge, also argued by Allgood, resulted in a hung jury.
"I am a firm believer in the Second Amendment, and I'm a life-long member of the (National Rifle Association)," Allgood said. "I know we have a lot of students who are deer hunters. But let's face it: With the situation we've seen on college campuses in recent years, we have to take this serious."
Allgood said he presented the same case he had presented in the previous trial, when the jury could not reach a verdict.
"It just goes to show that every jury is different," Allgood said. "The proof was pretty much the same."
Hill, who represented himself in the trial, was arrested in September of 2010 at his Aikin Village apartment by MSU police acting on a tip.
Allgood said several aspects of Hill's case made it clear it was not simply a matter of a student who happened to have a deer rifle in his apartment.
"The rifle was a Russian model, the same that the Soviet military uses," Allgood said. "But one of the big eye-openers is that he had 440 rounds of ammunition. That's far more than the typical hunter would have in his possession."
Another factor, Allgood said, was some connection between Hill and the Sovereign Citizen Movement, which the Federal Bureau of Investigation identifies as an "anti-government extremist" group linked to murder and assaults, among other crimes."
Allgood said Hill denied being associated with the group.
"It was up to the jury as to whether they believe him or not," Allgood said. "I think this jury just saw things a little differently than the first one,.
"The bottom line is that we don't live in a vacuum," he added. "The events of our recent history shows that his situation was one that we had to be concerned about. This was not just a turkey hunter with a shotgun in his trunk."
“But one of the big eye-openers is that he had 440 rounds of ammunition. That’s far more than the typical hunter would have in his possession.”
I’m looking, looking, looking... Nope. Don’t see the ammo limit anywhere in the US Constitution. Perhaps one of the finer legal minds here on FR can enlighten me...
440 rounds.. well sir, I am not as good of a shot as I used to be... Deer keep moving around and I keep squeezing.
There must be more to this story. The guy had a $100 Mosin and a spam can of 440 rounds. The guy screwed up by representing himself.
Hill, who represented himself in the trial......had a fool for a client.
Seeing unarmed citizens being gunned down is quite serious. So we must focus on keeping citizens unarmed!
The statist goons don’t mind millions of illegal alien invaders, even violent criminals.
But they use a mighty fine mesh screen when searching out gun violations.
Welcome to the USSA.
Its like firecrackers. Popping only one is lame. Lighting off a string is cool.
A Mosin Nagant is bolt action but that doesn't mean much.
The last time I went home on vacation I took my Mosin, a 440 round spam can, and went shooting with my brother and his Mosin. Between the two of us I only had 50 rounds left after one afternoon shooting.
Liberals, cops, and DA's are usually either stupid, misinformed, or leftist hacks who are trying to subvert what is left of our free nation.
I also do not recall any requirement about guns and hunting within the Constitution or in any writing or document created by our Founding Fathers. Government employees deliberately deflect attention away from the fact our Founding Fathers wanted all of us to be armed AGAINST the Government if it should turn on us (like it has for the past 40 or so years).
“I am a firm believer in the Second Amendment, and I’m a life-long member of the (National Rifle Association),” Allgood said. “I know we have a lot of students who are deer hunters. But let’s face it: With the situation we’ve seen on college campuses in recent years, we have to take this serious.”
Typical NRA position. NRA likes to throw hunting in as a justification for 2nd Amendment freedoms. 2nd Amendment is not about hunting. 2nd Amendment is an armed counterweight to gubment power. Many Freepers don’t like it when I say that. The NRA types don’t like it.
Don’t shoot the messenger. I am just reporting the facts.
he had 440 rounds of ammunition. That’s far more than the typical hunter would have in his possession.”
Wanna bet? We no longer live in the 1950s when a person was so poor they could only buy three rounds of ammo a year to go deer hunting with.
One of these statements is true. The other is a bald faced lie.
“I am a firm sometime believer in the Second Amendment, and I’m a life-long member of the (National Rifle Association),” Allgood said.
A firm believer would say that the student could have any gun and as much ammo as he wanted because the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
(440 rounds?) Most people around here buy (bought) ammo by the case when the prices are low. Low prices, like when W was president. Thanks to zero, ammo prices have doubled or more, when you can find it, since five years ago.
When I bought my SKS, I got 250 rounds because it was on a machine gun belt and it was cheaper than buying it by the box.
MS ping
what an asshat of a DA
we had guns in dorms at Ole Miss
no one said crap
1970s
these jerk is a JBT tool
member of NRA
well whoop ti do
he should be pardoned...immediately...unless there is something we don’t know
what does Mark Levin call this?
creeping tyranny...the most deadly
and this is rural MS...think about it
A low profile is your friend.
I was told by an FBI agent to be aware that when you decide to join a group that has two or more members that one of them is and FBI agent.
This is trumped up. One (1) can of surplus 7.62x54R ammo contains 440 count. There is a cost incentive for buying a whole can rather than a few 15/20 round packages. Also, the ammo may be already on stripper clips.
Lastly, it was probably military surplus ammo not "hunting ammo." A knowledgable defense attorney should have been able to deflate the exaggerations.
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