Posted on 01/13/2013 10:47:22 AM PST by Red Steel
FRANKFORT — An Eastern Kentucky sheriff said Saturday that he will not enforce any new gun control laws that he considers unconstitutional.
Asked whether such a stance makes him more a judge than a law-enforcement official, Jackson County Sheriff Denny Peyman said he has "a team of attorneys to step up with me if necessary to be sure the Second Amendment is upheld."
"I consider this a moral obligation," he said.
Peyman, who has been sheriff of Jackson County for two years and is a member of the National Rifle Association, is garnering national attention and support from gun rights advocates for saying Saturday, "My office will not comply with any federal actions which violate the United States Constitution or the Kentucky Constitution which I swore to uphold."
The controversial issue of gun control has intensified across the nation since last month's massacre in Newtown, Conn., in which 27 people were killed. Twenty of them were elementary school children.
A federal task force headed by Vice President Joe Biden at President Barack Obama's request to look for ways to curb gun violence is to issue recommendations by Tuesday.
Sheriff Peyman, 59, held a news conference Saturday afternoon at a restaurant in McKee to talk about his position on gun control. He said in a phone interview that it attracted more than 100 people.
Peyman, an Idaho native who came to Kentucky 15 years ago to work with high-risk children, said he is concerned that new gun control laws could lead to bans and even the confiscation of guns.
"American citizens already have given up too much power over guns," he said.
Peyman said citizens in his county need guns for defense.
"I'm for people defending themselves," he said. "There are some places in this county that takes me 45 minutes to get to. If they have a gun, they could do a better job of defending themselves than waiting for me."
Peyman acknowledged that the Kentucky State Police also patrols Jackson County, "but it often takes them a long time, too, to get to places here."
Asked what he thinks about doing away with AK-47s, Peyman said, "If they pull them off the market, what will they pull off next?"
Jerry Wagner, executive director of the Kentucky Sheriff's Association, said Saturday the group has "not taken any position of any kind on gun control."
He added: "We are a constitutional office and will uphold the Constitution."
Peyman dismissed problems he has with Jackson County Judge-Executive William O. Smith and the Jackson County Fiscal Court.
They say Peyman's office owes the fiscal court more than $278,000 in payroll assistance from when he took office in January 2011. Peyman says there is no problem, but the court has called for an investigation and has set up a county police department. Peyman said he now has no deputies.
Obama ignores tons of laws ,so go for it ,lawless old west coming to the country
Oath Keepers was created by Sheriff Richard Mack who believes our Bill of Rights is untouchable.
Seems like every big city chief is clamoring for more gun controls, if not outright confiscation. Cops are no longer “peace officers”, they’re, to be blunt, at best mobile revenue generating units, or worse, useful idiots for the marxist elites.
The pot is on the boil!
Also - I would challenge Chuck Schumer to go to the South Bronx at midnight on Saturday night, BY HIMSELF, and tell me why anyone needs a semi-automatic rifle with a large magazine. Now think of being a tourist who got lost down there.
“Yesterday, I was listening to a local talk show on the radio (KIT Yakima, WA) from 3 to 6 pm Pacific Standard Time. The host was interviewing the Yakima County Sheriff. The question was asked that if the Federal government were to come after the guns, would the local police comply.
The sheriff said that recently there was a meeting of most of the Washington County sheriffs and this subject was brought up. He said that all of the Washington sheriffs would stand-down. This was something that they would not comply.
Also, he said the the earlier assault weapons legislation made no difference in the incident of weapon’s crime.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2977419/posts?page=3#3
One down, 3,142 counties, parishes, and boroughs to go.
He added: "We are a constitutional office and will uphold the Constitution."
Sure sounds to me as if Mr Wagner is speaking out of both sides of his mouth. Mealy mouthed little weasel.
"He said that all of the Washington sheriffs would stand-down. This was something that they would not comply."
I will be contacting my local sheriff’s office tomorrow and ask what they will do if asked to participate in enforcing blatantly unconstitutional restrictions on arms owned by law abiding citizens. All freedom loving FReeepers should be doing something like this (Lurkers, this means you too!). We all have to pull our own weight in this endeavor. It might also be a good idea if we can find a way to make a big deal of it, keep a running tally of whose on board and where. A “constitutional compliance” map. Something like that. Just brainstorming ... better ideas are welcome.
Unfortunatly this only makes O-Hole want to push for a ban even harder. Screw him, anyway.
More officials should take the same position.
IMO every citizen has the right to judge the law. There may be consequences and those consequences may be just or unjust but we are sovereign citizens not robot drones. If an elected LEO decides not to enforce laws he feels are unConstitutional then that is primarily a matter between him and his constituents.
FYI to all fellow Kentucky patriots, maybe we should ask him just what he means by those two statements:
Kentucky Sheriff's Association Executive Director
Retired Sheriff Jerry Wagner,
Executive Director
Kentucky Sheriff's Boys and Girls Ranch
2550 Ewing Road
Ewing, Kentucky 41039
Office: 606.267.6161
Mobile: 606.782.0592
Email him through this link:
http://kentuckysheriffs.ky.gov/Pages/emailksa.aspx
Rumor around town today (Newtown, CT) is that crazy Uncle Joe Biden will be here tomorrow for more anti-gun propaganda.
Everyone in this Constitutional republic has a right and duty to regard as illegitimate any statutes, ordinances, regulations, and other rules which are contrary to the Constitution of the United States. If a judge rules that something is Constitutional, and such ruling is at least plausibly correct, one should accept it as legitimate; on the other hand, if the judge rules that something is Constitutional, but the ruling itself is patently contrary to the Constitution, one has a right and duty to regard that ruling as having been illegitimately rendered and thus having no legal weight.
I agree. If more people looked at it that way there would be fewer unConstitutional laws.
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