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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsONE SMALL STEP: Supreme Court rules on 'straw purchaser' law
WASHINGTON (AP) A divided Supreme Court sided with gun control groups and the Obama administration Monday, ruling that the federal ban on "straw" purchases of guns can be enforced even if the ultimate buyer is legally allowed to own a gun.
The justices ruled 5-4 that the law applied to a Virginia man who bought a gun with the intention of transferring it to a relative in Pennsylvania who was not prohibited from owning firearms.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-rules-straw-purchaser-law-140713053--finance.html
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Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)Even though both parties were legally able to buy the gun, he committed perjury by stating he was the actual buyer.
But until we actually prosecute these cases a whole lot more, the existence of the law won't matter much. Even in cases where straw buyers buy gun for mass shootings sometimes they don't get prosecuted (Columbine, the girlfriend was 18 and did the buying), and other cases of perjury on the same form and process don't get prosecuted by the hundreds of thousands (cases where a person attempts to buy a gun and gets denied on the background check- that means they filled the form out swearing under penalty of perjury they were eligible and were not).
When I was a deputy I handed the BATFE a clear cut, already investigated and made case of straw buyer- a girlfriend had purchased a handgun for her boyfriend who was under a order for protection and legally barred from buying or possessing. I even had her on tape admitting to doing it and knowing it was illegal. I got him on the possession under state law, but wanted some tougher federal charges drawn on him and wanted the girlfriend nailed for buying it for him and that was federal crime.
They didn't do a damn thing. They looked to see if either had any background with motorcycle gangs because they were hot and heavy into them at the moment, but as soon as they saw they wouldn't be able to use charges to leverage them into helping them on bigger cases they lost all interest.
SQUEE
(1,315 posts)BEFORE we go running off creating more laws, especially those banning cosmetic features and seldom used weapons.
Just what you said. I dislike "feel good" legislation of any kind.
PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)onehandle
(51,122 posts)indepat
(20,899 posts)Alito, and Thomas, how much better a country Amurika would be.
Kennah
(14,115 posts)aikoaiko
(34,127 posts)I understand that allowing people to buy for others opens the door a little wider for abuse, but there really is no harm done when the actual buyer is not prohibited.
To highlight the weirdness of this law, it still ok to buy a gun and gift it to someone else as long as you don't have knowledge the person is prohibited. But if that person gave you money to buy it, it would be illegal.