Posted on 03/19/2009 8:20:28 PM PDT by marktwain
PHOENIX (Reuters) - An Arizona judge threw out criminal charges Wednesday against a gun dealer accused of knowingly selling weapons to smugglers shopping for Mexican drug cartels, after he ruled the prosecutor's evidence was flawed.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Robert Gottsfield issued a directed verdict of not guilty in the trial of George Iknadosian, 47, the owner of X-Caliber guns in Phoenix.
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Prosecutors alleged Iknadosian sold hundreds of AK-47 assault rifles and other guns to third-party buyers for the cartels in Mexico, where 6,000 people were killed in drug violence last year.
Gottsfield dismissed the case on the grounds that the prosecutors had not proven the third-party buyers, or "straw purchasers," had misrepresented their identities when buying the guns.
"There is no proof whatsoever that any prohibited possessor ended up with the firearms," he said in a ruling.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Nice to see the justice system still has some integrity.
Nice. Who is gonna pay his lawyers?
There is a bit of good news, this man was not dirty, he followed the letter of the law and they were trying to vindictively prosecute him.
Details, details, theyyyyy don’t need no stinking details.
Prosecutors. Proof? They don't need no stinkin proof.
Bump
It would be nice to see the NRA offer up and to show some solidarity...
George Will wrote an article about this case today in the WaPo. He was as full of [expletive] as ever. Turns out the judge’s directed verdict in favor of the defendant happened a few hours after Will’s BS op-ed was published. What a maroon!
And no the case was not dismissed on a technicality. Turns out that when you buy a gun at a gun store, you swear under penalty of perjury that you are not a “straw-man” buyer for someone else. Every person he sold to was legally able to buy a gun under the law. If they lied when they signed form 4473, it ain’t the dealer’s fault. Same as not being liable for what happens when you sell a car to a person who turns out to be a drunk driver.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/03/arizona_in_the_cross_hairs.html
Just what I was thinking. I’m happy for part of my dues to help in a case like this.
bump
Ping
Would like to see what “proof” the prosecutor offered in the case.
Maricopa County is in the fight of its life. The Left Democrats and the Hispanics are trying to destroy Sheriff Joe Arpaio, one of the best law enforcement officers in America. Even the leftist mayor of Tucson or is it Phoenix is against him for enforcing the law, and Commie Rep. Conyers is going to hold his show-trial witchhunt hearings on Arpaio.
Former governor-coward Jane Napolitano is a worthless piece of crap and she’ll try to bring Arpaio down if she can thru the Dept. of Homeland Security, the newest place she will destroy.
I hope that Joe cleans Conyers’ commie clock. It is about time that someone did.
Conyers is one of America’s top enemies and his record of aiding Moscow and the CPUSA is over 50 years long.
Time that this traitor got his due, esp. in front of cameras.
Apparently in Judge Gottsfield 's court, they do.
However, since that's a local court, I imagine the Feds will continue to go after the dealer in Federal Court, where too many of the judges have not yet got around to reading the Constitution or the laws, since they were appointed by Clinton or Carter.
Good news bump
bttt
Everytime someone gets in trouble, a Freeper calls for the NRA and there’s no evidence they are actually a member since the initials aren’t in the tagline.
It would be nice to see the Freepers offer up and show some solidarity by joining the NRA.
George Will dines with Obama. Need we say more?
Good to see at least some measure of justice came out of this case.
Now that the fellow has been convicted in the court of public opinion by the MSM, where does he go to get his reputation back?
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