Nearly 1000 New Yorkers Arrested Under SAFE Act

The Truth About Guns ^ | Nov 29, 2013 | Robert Farago

[Kip Russell]

“Nearly 1,000 people have been charged under the NY Safe Act in the eight months since the tougher gun control law was passed, according to the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services,” syracuse.com reports. “Nearly 90 percent were accused of a crime that pre-dates the new act – including having a sawed-off long gun or an unregistered pistol – but was elevated to a felony when the Safe Act went on the books Jan. 15.

The arrests dealing with the more controversial portions of the Safe Act, including possession of a large capacity magazine or a newly defined ‘assault weapon,’ are far fewer . . . Across the state, 20 people have been charged with this misdemeanor . . . seven people have been charged with failing to register their assault weapons.” This despite the fact that the law breakers still have until January 15th, 2014 to get rid of their banned “high capacity” magazines and until April 15th, 2014 to register their “assault rifles.” Imagine the fun when the deadlines expire.

[I want the USA back]

They make criminals out of innocent, law-abiding people and then say that they are fighting crime.

Meanwhile, they deliberately leave guns in the hands of violent criminals.

[BenLurkin]

BTTT!

[TurboZamboni]

“There’s no way to rule innocent men.
The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime
that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.” —Atlas Shrugged; Ayn Rand

[MosesKnows]

Nearly 1000 New Yorkers Arrested ...

Get back to me when you can report the prosecutions that weren't plea bargained.

[Kozy]

Here’s what I would like to know:
How many of these arrests were in the act of committing a crime?
If committing a crime, did the accused had a prior criminal record?

Come on reporters, dig a little bit please

[onedoug]

The Constitution shredded.

[dayglored]

> How many of these arrests were in the act of committing a crime?

See post #4.

If you want to arrest someone, simply make something they're doing legally, illegal.

This is not how tyranny begins -- this is how tyranny acts when it's already well underway!!

[Pollster1]

The arrests . . . including possession of a large capacity magazine or a newly defined ‘assault weapon,’ . . . 20 people have been charged with this misdemeanor . . . seven people have been charged with failing to register their assault weapons” . . . despite the fact that the law breakers still have until January 15th, 2014 to get rid of their banned “high capacity” magazines and until April 15th, 2014 to register their “assault rifles.”

Real Americans have been charged with the crime of not complying with a law that allowed more time to comply? That is as insane as the law itself. Liberals disgust me, and I will be cheering for those who resist, regardless of the form that resistance takes.

[JimRed]

Ex post facto?

[G Larry]

1000 arrested

Zero Tyrants shot

Bad Sign

[Logical me]

To communists run NY every citizen is a slave to the State and laws are enacted to make every citizen guilty of some crime. Won’t have enough prison space so I guess the firing squad made up of the police will be next.

[tanknetter]

“Nearly 90 percent were accused of a crime that pre-dates the new act – including having a sawed-off long gun or an unregistered pistol – but was elevated to a felony when the Safe Act went on the books Jan. 15.

How is this not a retroactive law?

I mean, I'm not going to pick nits over someone who decided to illegally saw off a shotgun, but I thought there were strong laws in place to prevent retroactivity?

[heshtesh]

Hell just one of my guns would net me more jail time than if I just went out and murdered someone in NY.

[1010RD]

Malum in se v. Malum prohibitum

That’s liberalism in a nutshell. They can’t tell when something is evil in and of itself. Or perhaps they can, but just enjoy controlling people on a whim.

[RetiredTexasVet]

A lot of it revolves around the “lawyer full employment” section of the act. In it they just charge someone and make them hire a lawyer to fight a charge that has no basis in the first place. If you win, they will just double their efforts to find something else to charge you with as punishment for challenging their authority.

[William Tell]

tanknetter said: "How is this not a retroactive law? "

I think the author of the article pehaps chose ambiguous wording.

I'm guessing that the 1000 people are charged with committing a SAFE Act "crime" since the passage of the safe act, and are also charged with other offenses committed since the passage of the SAFE Act which, due to a part of the SAFE Act, will be charged as felonies rather than misdemeanors. I don't think the author is describing crimes committed before the SAFE Act.

[marktwain]

The courts have made a joke of the ban on ex post facto laws. They claim that possession of something that has been made contraband is not an ex post facto law, because your “possession” of it after the law passed is a new act. They are not punishing you because you possessed the item in the past, they are punishing you because you possess it now.

I guess that you are supposed to throw it out or turn it in to police or some such activity before you are caught.

Consider that. You did nothing. The requirement to rid yourself of something you legally possessed is not considered punishment. Insanity.

[Jack Hammer]

Hey, if we can’t find enough criminals, we’ll make new ones!

[Travis McGee]