Posted on 05/17/2013 12:22:40 PM PDT by Red Steel
DENVER - County sheriffs from across Colorado are trying to bring down two gun control measures signed into law in March with a constitutional challenge filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Denver.
"Today represents a line in the sand," El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said. "The filing of this lawsuit is our only option. We did not want this. We did not ask for this, but we will not stand by silently while good citizens are deprived of their rights and criminalized."
Maketa is one of 54 sheriffs challenging the constitutionality of the state's ban on high-capacity magazines and mandate that universal background checks be conducted on all gun sales, even between private individuals.
Those laws - HB 1224 and HB 1229 respectively - take effect in July and attorney David Kopel with the Independence Institute said the plaintiffs are considering asking for a temporary injunction to keep the laws from impacting gun owning Coloradans.
Attorney General John Suthers released a statement that his office has worked with law enforcement to clearly outline how the laws are to be implemented with regard to issues raised with the legislation. Suthers will be responsible for mounting the legal defense on behalf of the state.
"The objective of the Attorney General's Office will be to get court rulings on the legality of various aspects of the legislation as expeditiously as possible," Suthers said in a statement. "Colorado citizens, and law-abiding gun owners in particular, deserve such clarification."
The argument is most clear against the ban on the sale or possession of magazines that hold more than 15 bullets or eight shotgun shells.
Kopel said similar to handgun bans that were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in Chicago and Washington D.C., the ban on magazines overreaches a reasonable limit on the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
"What the Supreme Court said is you may not prohibit arms which are typically owned by law abiding persons for lawful purposes, so if you've got arms that are in that category, that includes magazines, that's the end of the case, in our view," Kopel said. "At the same time the court said you can ban things that are the opposite."
Kopel used the example of sawed off shotguns and machine guns that can only be owned with extremely tight permitting process.
"A pistol with a 17 round magazine is not some dangerous or unusual weapons that is only used by gangsters or terrorists or nuts," Kopel said. "It is a very good choice for a law abiding citizen for lawful protection."
Advocates of the law say it is a reasonable way to not only prevent gun homicides but also massacres such as the Aurora theater shooting last summer.
Democrats argued during the legislative session that high-capacity magazines are weapons of war that have no place in neighborhoods, on streets or in movie theatres.
Yesss! My respect for CO Sheriffs has gone up measurably from their responses to this gun grabbing. I already considered them to be real good guys for the most part.
I’m pretty sure the sheriff of my county is one of those as he was one of the first to speak out against it. Weld County which is the area north and east of Boulder.
A companion article.
“VIDEO: Colorado sheriffs suing over gun control measures”
http://gazette.com/video-colorado-sheriffs-suing-over-gun-control-measures/article/1500842
Onward brave Sheriffs!!!
Thank You!!!
IMHO
Right, US vs. Miller 1939.
We could use a few hundred of them in NYS as the majority of our LEOs would have been right at home the gestapo.
A successful federal suit in Colorado could lead to destroying some of those anti-2nd Amendment laws in the Eastern states.
“A successful federal suit in Colorado could lead to destroying some of those anti-2nd Amendment laws in the Eastern states.”
When the homo-crates like Tim Gill targeted their cash to turn Colorado blue, they forgot to buy the sheriffs. It seems that the law man still cares about things like authority, justice and laws. At this point in time my Sheriff, Makita of El Paso county, could eat a live puppy on TV and still be re-elected.
Denver will remain a cesspool of crime, but in my neck of the woods criminals are shot. So if you are a burglar or a rapist remember in Boulder and Denver you are treated as the holy victim of your plight in life, but in Colorado Springs you are doubly holy-- because of the entrance and exit holes.
In light of the MANY IRS abuses being revealed this last week it’s clear that guns are needed to defend from an abusive government. That includes state governments, too.
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLORADO54 SHERIFFS:
JOHN B. COOKE, Sheriff of Weld County, Colorado;COLORADO OUTFITTERS ASSOCIATION;
TERRY MAKETA, Sheriff of El Paso County, Colorado;
JUSTIN SMITH, Sheriff of Larimer County, Colorado;
DAVID A. WEAVER, Sheriff of Douglas County, Colorado;
BRUCE W. HARTMAN, Sheriff of Gilpin County, Colorado;
KEN PUTNAM, Sheriff of Cheyenne County, Colorado;
DENNIS SPRUELL, Sheriff of Montezuma County, Colorado;
TIM JANTZ, Sheriff of Moffat County, Colorado;
JERRY MARTIN, Sheriff of Dolores County, Colorado;
MIKE ENSMINGER, Sheriff of Teller County, Colorado;
SHAYNE HEAP, Sheriff of Elbert County, Colorado;
CHAD DAY, Sheriff of Yuma County, Colorado;
FRED D. MCKEE, Sheriff of Delta County, Colorado;
LOU VALLARIO, Sheriff of Garfield County, Colorado;
FRED HOSSELKUS, Sheriff of Mineral County, Colorado;
BRETT L. POWELL, Sheriff of Logan County, Colorado;
JAMES FAULL, Sheriff of Prowers County, Colorado;
LARRY KUNTZ, Sheriff of Washington County, Colorado;
BRIAN E. NORTON, Sheriff of Rio Grande County, Colorado;
DUKE SCHIRARD, Sheriff of La Plata County, Colorado;
JIM BEICKER, Sheriff of Fremont County, Colorado;
RONALD BRUCE, Sheriff of Hinsdale County, Colorado;
CHRIS S. JOHNSON, Sheriff of Otero County, Colorado;
FRED JOBE, Sheriff of Custer County, Colorado;
DONALD KRUEGER, Sheriff of Clear Creek County, Colorado;
JAMES CRONE, Sheriff of Morgan County, Colorado;
SI WOODRUFF, Sheriff of Rio Blanco County, Colorado;
TOM RIDNOUR, Sheriff of Kit Carson County, Colorado;
TOM NESTOR, Sheriff of Lincoln County, Colorado;
STAN HILKEY, Sheriff of Mesa County, Colorado;
FORREST FRAZEE, Sheriff of Kiowa County, Colorado;
RICK DUNLAP, Sheriff of Montrose County, Colorado;
TED B. MINK, Sheriff of Jefferson County, Colorado;
DAVE STONG, Sheriff of Alamosa County, Colorado;
FRED WEGENER, Sheriff of Park County, Colorado;
BRUCE NEWMAN, Sheriff of Huerfano County, Colorado;
RANDY PECK, Sheriff of Sedgwick County, Colorado;
DOMINIC MATTIVI, JR., Sheriff of Ouray County, Colorado;
JOHN MINOR, Sheriff of Summit County, Colorado;
SCOTT FISCHER, Sheriff of Jackson County, Colorado;
PETER GONZALEZ, Sheriff of Archuleta County, Colorado;
RICK BESECKER, Sheriff of Gunnison County, Colorado;
CHARLES “ROB” URBACH , Sheriff of Phillips County, Colorado;
ROD FENSKE, Sheriff of Lake County, Colorado;
GRAYSON ROBINSON, Sheriff of Arapahoe County, Colorado;
DAVID D. CAMPBELL, Sheriff of Baca County, Colorado;
MIKE NORRIS, Sheriff of Saguache County, Colorado;
AMOS MEDINA, Sheriff of Costilla County, Colorado;
MILES CLARK, Sheriff of Crowley County, Colorado;
DAVID ENCINIAS, Sheriff of Bent County, Colorado;
SUE KURTZ, Sheriff of San Juan County, Colorado;
JAMES (JIM) CASIAS, Sheriff of Las Animas County, Colorado;
GARRETT WIGGINS, Sheriff of Routt County, Colorado;
DOUGLAS N. DARR , Sheriff of Adams County, Colorado;
COLORADO FARM BUREAU;
NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION;
MAGPUL INDUSTRIES;
USA LIBERTY ARMS;
OUTDOOR BUDDIES, INC.;
WOMEN FOR CONCEALED CARRY;
COLORADO STATE SHOOTING ASSOCIATION;
HAMILTON FAMILY ENTERPRISES, INC., d/b/a FAMILY SHOOTING CENTER AT CHERRY CREEK STATE PARK;
DAVID STRUMILLO;
DAVID BAYNE;
DYLAN HARRELL;
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHOOTERS SUPPLY;
2ND AMENDMENT GUNSMITH & SHOOTER SUPPLY, LLC;
BURRUD ARMS INC. D/B/A JENSEN ARMS;
GREEN MOUNTAIN GUNS;
JERRY’S OUTDOOR SPORTS;
GRAND PRIX GUNS;
SPECIALTY SPORTS & SUPPLY;
GOODS FOR THE WOODS;Plaintiffs,
vs.
JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER, Governor of the State of Colorado,
Defendant.
COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF
-snip-
El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said. “The filing of this lawsuit is our only option. We did not want this. We did not ask for this, but we will not stand by silently while good citizens are deprived of their rights and criminalized.”
Maketa is one of 54 sheriffs challenging the constitutionality of the state’s ban on high-capacity magazines and mandate that universal background checks be conducted on all gun sales, even between private individuals.
Colorado Ping ( Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list.)
Criminal #6 reporting in.
Thanks
Not seen the liberal gun grabber list.
Likely, the usual counties ?
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