Tuesday, July 9, 2013

New Mexico Gun Owner gets Unsupervised Probation (slap on the wrist) for Shooting a Police Van

 

Local news reports

A man who shot a city speed-enforcement van last year pleaded no contest in court Wednesday to charges connected to the shooting and a subsequent police chase around downtown Santa Fe.

Scott Powell, 65, will serve about 18 months of unsupervised probation, after which he can receive a conditional discharge, which would erase the convictions from his record, according to a copy of the plea agreement. The charges to which he pleaded are criminal damage to property; resisting, evading or obstructing an officer; and careless driving. The plea took place before state District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer.

Even when gun owners are arrested and charged for their crimes, they often plead to lesser charges and make deals like this one. This ensures that they will be able to keep their precious guns and misbehave another day.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

6 comments:

  1. "The now 65 year-old Santa Fe man who was arrested last spring after he was caught on camera shooting a gun at an unmanned speed-enforcement vehicle has been sentenced to 18 months of unsupervised probation after agreeing to a plea deal Wednesday."

    So, this is actually a vandalism charge. Keep in mind, that the plea agreement is just that. Both sides agree to this. If the county attorney does this too often he'll find himself out of a job next election. Or are you suggesting the evil hand of the NRA extends even to the level of county elections?

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    1. Not the NRA necessarily, but the pro-gun attitudes that permeate everything in places like NM.

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  2. It's better that a few knuckleheads slip through the cracks than to have your proposals succeed.

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  3. Notice how the gun guys justify away the slap on the wrist. Then, out of the other side of their mouth, tell us that we should "just enforce the rules we already have" to stop gun violence. Pitiful.

    This shooter should be locked away and have his guns removed forever. End of story.

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  4. Baldr,

    You are welcome to your opinion, as I said previously, this is basically a felony vandalism charge. The prosecutor could have easily tried it as a felony, yet he agreed to the plea deal. If it was the county you live in, it would be your prerogative to vote for his opponent.

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