Colorado Sheriffs Unite to Block ‘Unenforceable’ Gun Control Legislation

[TSA]

Who you going to side with, the legislators who know jack shit or the actual people who deal with crime on a day to day basis?

http://news.yahoo.com/not-going-tolerate-colo-sheriffs-unite-block-unenforceable-000215118.html

Weld County, Colo., Sheriff John Cooke, left, with El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa, center right, and other sheriffs standing behind him, speaks during a news conference at which he announced that 54 Colorado sheriffs are filing a federal civil lawsuit against two gun control bills passed by the Colorado Legislature, in Denver, Friday, May 17 2013. (Photo: AP)

In the wake of the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado passed some of the strictest gun control measures in the country.

But in recent months, an overwhelming 55 of the state's 62 county sheriffs have joined a lawsuit aiming to block the measures.

"These bills do absolutely nothing to make Colorado a safer place to live, to work, to play or to raise a family," Weld County Sheriff John Cooke explained at a recent press conference. "Instead these misguided, unconstitutional bills will have the opposite effect because they greatly restrict the right of decent, law-abiding citizens to defend themselves, their families and their homes."

Sheriff Terry Maketa of El Paso County is one of the opposing sheriffs, and he explained on TheBlaze TV Wednesday how the public was "duped" into supporting overly vague legislation banning high-capacity magazines and requiring background checks.

Maketa says they believe the laws are unenforceable, but also violate the Second and Fourteenth Amendments.

After explaining the tactics used to pass the bills that essentially "eliminated all public input," Maketa reiterated that it's clearly an "overreaching step" for politicians to claim law enforcement supports stricter gun control.

When asked by Pat Gray whether he and other sheriffs are "getting flak" for standing against the stricter measures, Maketa replied that it's the "exact opposite."

"I would say the communications I've received are 99% in favor," he added.

"I think Colorado is the epicenter of this battle, and 55 Colorado sheriffs have drawn a line in the sand and said 'We're not going to tolerate it,' he concluded. "[The laws] are unenforceable...and we certainly are not going to compromise citizens' rights [to claim] that we are."

[TSA]

One Colorado sheriff is claiming that Democrats are pressuring pro-gun sheriffs in the state with tactics he think border on extortion.

In a radio interview with KVOR on Saturday, El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said he received an email last week with a threat to stop or stall pay raises to the state’s elected sheriffs if they don’t support Colorado’s pending gun control legislation.

The email, sent from the offices of the County Sheriffs of Colorado, “basically said, Dem. leadership is very upset with the sheriffs and their opposition to the gun control bills,” Maketa said.

He claimed it said the Democrats were threatening to delay legislation that would give the sheriffs a long-delayed pay raise if they continue to speak out against the new push for more gun control laws.


Image: YouTube
In the radio interview, Maketa strongly suggested that the pressure being placed on sheriffs organization bordered on extortion and should be investigated.

Maketa said some sheriffs in the organization were suggesting they compromise and support one proposed bill that would remove firearms and ammunition from people accused of domestic violence before ever being convicted of a crime.

“They’re infringing on your Fourth Amendment rights and Fifth Amendment rights,” Maketa said.

He quoted statistics saying firearms were used in less than 2 percent of crimes reported in his state. Maketa also said that if guns are confiscated, blunt objects and instruments like knives and scissors should be as well, since they are used in domestic violence cases more often than guns

[TeyshaBlue]

I'll probably side with, oh, I dunno...maybe the side that has actually works down the hall from the Supreme Court.

[Sportcamper]

I can’t understand why these rednecks are so belligerent…Politicians from California are the model of efficiency and integrity... These backwoods states should be honored that they have Diane Feinstein, Barbara Boxer and Nancy Pelosi telling them how things should be done…

[George Gervin's Afro]

I can’t understand why these rednecks are so belligerent…Politicians from California are the model of efficiency and integrity... These backwoods states should be honored that they have Diane Feinstein, Barbara Boxer and Nancy Pelosi telling them how things should be done…


I can't understand why law enforcement officials can't pick and choose which laws to enforce? That's totally unfair for the sheriffs

[TSA]

I'll probably side with, oh, I dunno...maybe the side that has actually works down the hall from the Supreme Court.:lol It's the thought that counts.

[TSA]

I can't understand why law enforcement officials can't pick and choose which laws to enforce? That's totally unfair for the sheriffsConsidering they are the ones with direct knowledge of what does and doesn't work their opinions should hold some weight.

[TeyshaBlue]

Considering they are the ones with direct knowledge of what does and doesn't work their opinions should hold some weight.

Agreed. That weight should not encompass deciding what is and what is not constitutional when it suits them, however.

[George Gervin's Afro]

Considering they are the ones with direct knowledge of what does and doesn't work their opinions should hold some weight.

well they don't have the luxury of picking and choosing which laws to enforce.. maybe they should resign in protest?

[Th'Pusher]

I like it when supposed states rights conservatives like TSA and SportsCamper whine about states making laws that don't even effect them.

[boutons_deux]

the sheriffs are simply following the DoJ example of not prosecuting, eg, financial criminals because it's not "practical" or whatever.

[TSA]

I like it when supposed states rights conservatives like TSA and SportsCamper whine about states making laws that don't even effect them.First of all, I'm not a conservative, I'm just a concerned gun owner. Each new law passed, regardless of what state is in, trickles down.

If you want me to keep it to my own state, I've got plenty to complain about coming out of California. Did you hear about the microstamping law that was put in place? How I'm reading the law it is basically banning all new handguns (minus revolvers since there are no spent casings) to be sold in CA, as most manufacturers will not do the microstamping. Nice little way to impose a ban on new guns.

[boutons_deux]

"concerned gun owner"

concerned about what (paranoid fantasy)?

[TSA]

"concerned gun owner"

concerned about what (paranoid fantasy)?

read up on the CA microstamping, see if you can comprehend it, and then tell me its a fantasy.

[boutons_deux]

so your fantasy is that marking guns and/or the shells they fire so they are traceable somehow keeps guns out of the hands of the Good Guys?

[boutons_deux]

so your fantasy is that marking guns and/or the shells they fire so they are traceable somehow keeps guns out of the hands of the Good Guys?

Like the NRA, the gun industry, gun fellators in general, you're all effectively SOFT ON CRIME since criminals are a huge market for guns and ammo.

[TSA]

so your fantasy is that marking guns and/or the shells they fire so they are traceable somehow keeps guns out of the hands of the Good Guys?Considering that it looks like manufacturers will not do the microstamping for one state alone, yes, no new handguns will be coming to California. That is a reality.

[TSA]

Also not sure how they think the microstamping will work...........the range I shoot at has officers there shooting all the time. In theory, I could shoot next to them, collect their brass, reload it, and then use it to committ crimes that would be traced back to them.

[Th'Pusher]

Considering that it looks like manufacturers will not do the microstamping for one state alone, yes, no new handguns will be coming to California. That is a reality.
That's the beauty of federalism. You can actually move to a state with less onerous gun laws and being a whiny pussy on the Internet.

[boutons_deux]

Considering that it looks like manufacturers will not do the microstamping for one state alone, yes, no new handguns will be coming to California. That is a reality.

that's the gun mfrs fault, not the CA govt fault (as if there were not enough guns in CA already, esp in the hands of the Bad Guys)