Posted on 01/11/2009 10:44:48 AM PST by Beaten Valve
The man arrested at Los Angeles International Airport with a trunk full of guns and nearly 1,000 rounds of ammunition said Saturday that he is a law-abiding weapons enthusiast who had no idea he might be breaking the law.
A day after he was arrested for suspicion of felony transportation of an assault rifle, Phillip Dominguez said he's confident he'll be exonerated.
"Our Second Amendment rights are being trampled in the name of law enforcement," Dominguez said. "I'm a law-abiding, taxpaying gun enthusiast. I have no felonies - up until now."
(cont'd)
Here are the facts.
He is getting screwed over one gun in particular which California declared scarier that the other guns.
BTTT (though don't forget, we DID ban nail files on fingernail clippers - don't you feel SAFE?)
Technically this guy didn’t make a “pitstop” he was FORCED to stop by the authority’s.
I know it’s a stupid argument, but I’m just saying...
There is a reason I choose to protect myself L0L
What are you talking about? You can walk into an airport plane ticket in hand, with a gun in your suitcase and tell the lady at the counter “I have a firearm to declare.” They will open your checked baggage to ensure the weapon is unloaded and in a locked container. You will sign an affacavit stating such. When you get off the plane, the gun is still in your suitcase available at the baggage return.
But that's the point. He claims he did not know the law. And "Ignorance is no excuse" assumes that a law is knowable. If a law is vaguely worded or if its existence is not publicized, then ignorance does become an excuse. If the State lists illegal activities on an "assault" rifle registration, and leaves that one law off the list, then he can argue that the law was hidden from him and thus was unknowable.
“This guy just became a poster child for that concept.”
“But, he was going to enter airport property with them and that is prohibited”
Sorry, I needed to explain myself better, which I did in an earlier post. THose traveling can take them to the counter and have them checked in. This guy was noot traveling. Eitherway, if someone does not have all their paperwork straight at the airport and they are carrying firearms - that is the problem. Aviation security is tight, I think that is a huge understatement. Then as most of you are saying - make it California airport - and he’s got a problem.
“It took the assholes 6 hours to find some little technicality to charge him with. Now he’s looking at a felony and the theft of his property.”
I have tried to keep up with California firearms law, as I live right next door and am a firearms instructor. But this was a new one even to me!
Unless he’s got a few dozen hands, I suspect that he was not planning to make a last stand with a trunk full of guns.
“Then as most of you are saying - make it California airport - and he’s got a problem.”
“GUNS BAD! GUNS BAAAAAAAAAD! BAAAAAAAAAD! BAAAAAAAAAD!”, bleat the sheeple.
From the article, it appears so. He is not in trouble for having guns and ammunition at the airport, he is in trouble for having one of the guns there in violation of a nit-picky part of CA law.
They got him on the stupid Californication law that states that you may not stop ANYWHERE between your house and the range. He ought to fight the stupid law.
I agree since it was the authority’s who forced him to stop.
Of course we know he had intent to stop.
But the law is preposterous.
Under this law he would commit the same felony whether he stopped at the airport or at a gas station in the boonies to take a whizz
Yeah, the police can arrest him for this, but they are making a huge mistake. The public would be much better served if the police explained the law, gave him a warning, a couple business cards and asked him to call if he ever saw something that didn’t look kosher at his local range.
I would plea ignorance of the law and stress that the state did not make the law known to him when he registered the gun.
Tell you the truth, I am not sure how I feel about this article - because I have questions and don’t completely understand. I am pro 2nd ammendment, but I do not own a gun. It would help me if someone could explain why someone carries 21 firearms around in the back of a truck? I can see the collection at home, but don’t understand that many in teh truck. Is this where he stores them, or was taking them to shoot and wants a variet? This is not a judgemental questions, but rather a real question. I’m just trying to understand and because I don’t own any, I could use some assistance on this subject. So, Please educate me.
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