Source: https://cbaclelegalconnection.com/tag/firearm/page/2/
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 18:03:50+00:00

Document:
The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion in Ron Peterson Firearms, LLC v. Jones on Monday, July 28, 2014.
The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives issued demand letters to certain federal firearms licensees (FFLs) in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in an effort to reduce gun trafficking to Mexico. The demand letters required the FFLs to report to ATF when making sales to the same customer within five business days of two or more semiautomatic rifles “capable of accepting a detachable magazine and with a caliber greater than .22.” Three FFLs—Ron Peterson Firearms, LLC (Peterson), Dale Rutherford d/b/a The Cop Shop (Rutherford), and Tracy Rifle and Pistol, Inc. (Tracy)—appealed the demand letter, arguing that the ATF lacked authority to issue the demand letter and the decision to target FFLs along the four border states was arbitrary and capricious.
The Tenth Circuit, in accord with the Fifth and DC Circuits and the district court in this case, decided that the ATF neither exceeded its statutory authority or acted arbitrarily and capriciously in issuing the demand letter.
The ATF issued the letter in response to “Project Gunrunner,” a national initiative to combat firearms trafficking across the Mexican border. Project Gunrunner uncovered that although Mexican cartels traditionally preferred smaller model weapons, recently rifles and other long guns were being uncovered in raids. These weapons had not previously been tracked by the ATF with multiple-purchase tracing. In December 2010, the ATF announced a proposed reporting requirement regarding multiple purchases of long guns. It received over 12,000 comments during the comment period.
In July 2011, the ATF issued a demand letter to dealer and pawnbroker FFLs in the four border states. Letter recipients are required to report to the ATF whenever they sell two or more semi-automatic rifles within five business days to an unlicensed person. The reports must be submitted on an ATF form that includes information about the purchaser, the dates and locations of purchase, and certain characteristics of the firearms. Peterson, Rutherford, and Tracy are recipients of the July 2011 demand letter. They filed separate suits against the ATF’s acting director in his official capacity, challenging his authority under the Administrative Procedure Act, which suits were consolidated by the district court. The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment. The district court granted the ATF’s motion for summary judgment and denied the plaintiffs’ motions. The plaintiffs appealed to the Tenth Circuit.
The plaintiff FFLs contended that the ATF lacked statutory authority to issue the July 2o11 demand letter, arguing that the demand letter runs afoul of several provisions of the Gun Control Act, as well as the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act. The FFLs asserted that because the demand letter required them to submit information it was not already required to collect, the ATF exceeded its statutory authority. The Tenth Circuit disagreed, stating that the statute “unambiguously authorizes the demand letter.” The Tenth Circuit noted that the demand letter requested FFLs to submit information they are legally obliged to maintain. The FFLs also contend that the letter is invalid because FFLs cannot determine which transactions they are required to report. The Tenth Circuit rejected this argument, quoting from a sister case that “Appellants’ assertion belies reality.” Moreover, the ATF provided a website and phone number to help clarify which transactions were required to be reported.
FFLs also argue that the demand letter requires them to keep records “in a manner inconsistent with the regulations,” but the Tenth Circuit disagreed. Before the ATF issued the July 2011 demand letter, FFLs were already required to keep records of similar sales of different types of firearms. The July 2011 letter simply expanded that obligation to include long guns of the types recently preferred by Mexican cartels.
The FFLs also argue that the ATF exceeded its authority under § 923 by exceeding the authority granted to them by Congress. The Tenth Circuit, agreeing with the Fifth and DC Circuits, rejected these arguments. The arguments erroneously conflate two unrelated statutory sections, and nothing in the statute expressly forbids the ATF’s demand letter.
FFLs argue as well that the CGA limits the ATF’s authority because it limits the promulgation of any rule or regulation after the date of the Firearm Owners’ Protection Act. However, the demand letter is not a rule or regulation. Further, § 923 was enacted as part of the Firearm Owners’ Protection Act.
Rutherford and Tracy argue that even if the ATF’s demand letter was supported by statute, its action was arbitrary and capricious, and that there is no rational connection between the 2011 demand letter and gun trafficking across the Mexican border. The Tenth Circuit remarked that this argument fails to recognize ample evidence in the record of a “rational connection” between the information the ATF seeks and the gun trafficking. Further, the Tenth Circuit noted that agencies are not required to consider every alternative proposed but rather must consider only the most significant and viable alternatives. The Tenth Circuit found no arbitrariness or caprice in the ATF’s demand letter.
Finally, Peterson argued that the court should have excluded portions of the administrative record containing data from traces of firearms seized by Mexican law enforcement. The Tenth Circuit reminded Peterson that review of an agency decision is generally based on the full administrative record, and rejected Peterson’s argument.
The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion in United States v. Morales on Tuesday, July 15, 2014.
Defendant Morales was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over for a traffic stop. As soon as the vehicle stopped, Morales fled on foot. Officers chased him and apprehended him about a block away. A shell casing was found in the vehicle, and the officers retraced Morales’ flight path, finding a loaded gun and a cell phone. Morales was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentenced to 86 months’ imprisonment. He appealed the conviction, claiming that there was insufficient evidence that he knowingly possessed the firearm. Morales also argued his Fifth Amendment due process rights were violated when he was handcuffed and transported through a common area of the courthouse in view of the venire.
The Tenth Circuit first examined Morales’ claim that he did not knowingly possess the firearm. Morales asserted that, because there was no direct physical evidence that he carried or dropped the evidence, his conviction could not stand. The Tenth Circuit reviewed the record and noted that there was ample circumstantial evidence linking Morales with the firearm, including that it was found free of debris, dirt, or moisture which indicated it had been recently discarded; the weapon was found along Morales’ flight path; and the weapon was found along with a cell phone that Morales claimed upon his release from jail. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, the Tenth Circuit discerned that it was sufficient to support the jury’s finding of knowing possession.
The Tenth Circuit next reviewed Morales’ claim of due process violation and determined that none occurred. There was no evidence that actual jury members saw Morales in handcuffs, and there was no showing of prejudice based on speculation that possible jury members might have seen him handcuffed. Further, the court had adequate justification for permitting the visible handcuffs based on Morales’ previous convictions for escape and violence against law enforcement.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed Morales’ conviction and denied his request for a new trial.
The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion in United States v. Medina-Copete on Wednesday, June 3, 2014.
Maria Vianey Medina-Copete (Medina) and Rafael Goxcon-Chagal (Goxcon) were traveling in a borrowed truck through New Mexico when they were pulled over for following another vehicle too closely. Officer Chavez, who stopped the vehicle, became suspicious that Medina and Goxcon were engaged in drug activity because of the overwhelming odor of air freshener coming from the vehicle, Medina’s nervousness and chanting of a prayer to Santa Muerte, and the changes in Medina’s and Goxcon’s behavior when questioned about the presence of methamphetamine in the vehicle. Chavez, who is not fluent in Spanish, had difficulty communicating with Medina and Goxcon, who are not fluent in English. Eventually, Chavez obtained consent to search the vehicle with a form written in Spanish, and a drug sniffing dog alerted to the glove box on the passenger side of the truck. After a thorough search, a secret compartment was found on the vehicle containing nearly two pounds of 90% pure methamphetamine.
Medina and Goxcon were placed under arrest, and subsequent to their arrests were interviewed by Spanish-speaking DEA officials. They gave conflicting stories to the DEA officials. At the end of her interview, Medina asked to retrieve her personal belongings from the vehicle, a black duffel bag. The officer who retrieved the bag found a handgun under a piece of clothing. In an indictment, Goxcon and Medina were jointly charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and using or carrying a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime. Medina was also charged with being an illegally present alien in possession of a firearm and with illegal reentry.
In their joint trial, Medina and Goxcon asserted that they had no knowledge of the drugs in their borrowed vehicle. Two experts testified against them, United States Marshal Robert Almonte of the Western District of Texas and DEA Agent Ivar Hella. Almonte testified about his research into religious iconography and its significance in the drug world, specifically Santa Muerte to whom Medina was furiously praying during the traffic stop. Hella testified about drug trafficking between this country and Mexico, and that blind mules are rarely used as drug couriers because of the risks of accidental discovery of the drugs. Medina and Goxcon challenged both experts’ testimony. The jury returned guilty verdicts against both defendants on all counts, and defendants timely appealed.
Defendants asserted that the trial court erred by allowing Almonte to testify, and that his testimony violated FRE 403, 702, and 704(b), as well as their First Amendment rights. The Tenth Circuit evaluated Almonte’s testimony in light of the factors set forth in Daubert and Kumho Tires, and found that his testimony regarding Santa Muerte did not qualify as explicative of a “tool of the trade,” because it was unclear how praying to a religious figure could be a tool in the drug trade. The Tenth Circuit analogized the religious iconography to finding baggies or a razor blade, which can easily be understood to be tools of a drug trade despite their common household use, and found that there was no similar utility to the religious symbols. The Tenth Circuit noted that the district court’s failure to examine how Almonte’s testimony could assist the jury also affected its reliability. Citing a concurrence from the Eighth Circuit analyzing Almonte’s testimony in a different case, the Tenth Circuit found that there was no causal connection between religious iconography and the drug trade, so his testimony was not sufficiently reliable. Because the Tenth Circuit found error in admitting Almonte’s testimony, it evaluated whether the error was harmless, and determined that it was not. The government did not have a strong case against Goxcon and Medina, so the chance that the religious iconography testimony prejudiced the jury was great.
As to Hella’s testimony, the Tenth Circuit found no error. His testimony was relevant to show that it was less likely that Goxcon and Medina were unaware of the presence of methamphetamine in the truck due to various factors, including the unlikelihood of using blind mules and the strong smell of pure methamphetamine.
The Tenth Circuit also reviewed Medina’s assertion that the government had insufficient evidence to convict her, and disagreed. The case was remanded to the district court to vacate the convictions based on drug trafficking and for further proceedings consistent with the opinion. Because Medina did not challenge her illegal reentry or possession of firearm by an illegal alien convictions, the Tenth Circuit did not vacate them.
The Colorado Supreme Court issued its opinion in People v. Carbajal on Monday, June 30, 2014.
Colo. Const. art. II, § 13—Right to Bear Arms—Possession of a Weapon by a Previous Offender—Choice of Evils—Jury Instructions—Affirmative Defense.
Reversing the court of appeals, the Supreme Court held that the trial court did not err in instructing the jury that, to raise an affirmative defense to possession of a weapon by a previous offender (POWPO), defendant must show that he possessed the weapon for the purpose of defending himself, his home, or his property from what he reasonably believed to be a threat of imminent harm. This instruction properly reflects the Court’s precedent in People v. Blue, 544 P.2d 385, 391 (1975), which upheld the POWPO statute against a claim that it unconstitutionally infringed on the right to bear arms under Colo. Const. art. II, § 13, based on the legislature’s provision of a choice of evils affirmative defense. Because the choice of evils defense includes both a reasonableness and imminence requirement, the trial court did not err in including these requirements in its instruction.
Governor Hickenlooper continues to sign legislation, and has signed 54 bills in the last week. To date, he has signed 317 bills and vetoed two bills. Some of these are summarized here.
SB 14-005 – Concerning Alternative Administrative Remedies for the Processing of Certain Wage Claims, and, in Connection Therewith, Amending the Provisions for Written Notices of a Wage Claim, and, in Connection Therewith, Making and Reducing Appropriations, by Sen. Jessie Ulibarri and Rep. Jonathan Singer. The bill authorizes the Division of Labor to develop an administrative process to handle wage claim cases.
SB 14-190 – Concerning Criminal Discovery, and, in Connection Therewith, Creating a Statewide Discovery Sharing System, a Criminal Discovery Surcharge, Civil Immunity for District Attorneys that Make a Good-Faith Effort to Redact Information from Discovery Documents, and Making an Appropriation, by Sen. Kent Lambert and Rep. Cheri Gerou. The bill implements the recommendations of the Discovery Task Force regarding creating and maintaining a statewide eDiscovery system.
SB 14-201 – Concerning Reestablishing a Child Protection Ombudsman Advisory Work Group to Develop a Plan for Accountable Autonomy for the Child Protection Ombudsman Program, by Sen. Linda Newell and Rep. Jonathan Singer. The bill creates a new advisory work group to evaluate the Office of Child Protection Ombudsman Program and recommend ways to improve efficiency.
SB 14-203 – Concerning the Office of the Respondent Parents’ Counsel in Cases of Alleged Child Abuse or Neglect, by Sens. Kent Lambert & Linda Newell and Reps. Jenise May & Bob Gardner. The bill creates the Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel in the Judicial Department in order to provide legal representation to low income respondent parents in dependency and neglect cases.
HB 14-1273 – Concerning Human Trafficking, and, In Connection Therewith, Making and Reducing Appropriations, by Reps. Beth McCann & Jared Wright and Sens. Linda Newell & Gail Schwartz. The bill amends several statutory provisions concerning human trafficking.
HB 14-1080 – Concerning a Sales and Use Tax Exemption for the Colorado Ute Indians, by Reps. Mike McLachlan & Don Coram and Sen. Ellen Roberts. The bill clarifies that sales tax doesn’t apply to purchases made on reservations.
HB 14-1119 – Concerning an Income Tax Credit for the Donation of Food to a Hunger-Relief Charitable Organization, by Rep. Mike McLachlan and Sens. Mary Hodge & Ellen Roberts. The bill creates an income tax credit for individual and corporate taxpayers who donate food to hunger-relief charitable organizations.
HB 14-1222 – Concerning Modification of the Terms Under Which a County May Issue Tax-Exempt Private Activity Bonds on Behalf of an Eligible Applicant for the Purpose of Financing a Geothermal Energy Project on the Applicant’s Property, by Rep. Mike McLachlan and Sens. Gail Schwartz & Ellen Roberts. The bill changes several provisions regarding private activity bonds issued by counties.
HB 14-1030 – Concerning the Establishment of Incentives for the Development of Hydroelectric Energy Systems, by Reps. Don Coram & Diane Mitsch-Bush and Sens. Gail Schwartz & Ellen Roberts. The bill facilitates the development of hydroelectric energy systems by the State Electrical Board and the Department of Regulatory Agencies.
HB 14-1275 – Concerning Authorization for the Parks and Wildlife Commission to Purchase Real Property to Build a Multi-Use Shooting Facility, by Reps. Crisanta Duran & Don Coram and Sens. Cheri Jahn & Ellen Roberts. The bill allows the Parks and Wildlife Commission to purchase certain real estate in Mesa County to build a multi-use shooting facility.
HB 14-1303 – Concerning the Receipt of Public Testimony from Remote Locations Around the State by Legislative Committees, and, in Connection Therewith, Making and Reducing Appropriations, by Reps. Ray Scott & Mark Ferrandino and Sen. Gail Schwartz. The bill allows the Executive Committee of the Legislative Council to establish policies to allow remote testimony from more than one location in Colorado.
HB 14-1278 – Concerning Continuation of the Workers’ Compensation Accreditation Program Administered by the Division of Workers’ Compensation, and, in Connection Therewith, Implementing the Recommendations of the 2013 Sunset Report by the Department of Regulatory Agencies, by Rep. Paul Rosenthal and Sen. Lois Tochtrop. The bill continues the Workers’ Comp Accreditation Program and requires the DWC to conduct a study on the potential impact on the state of adopting the current version of the AMA Guides to Evaluation of Permanent Impairment.
HB 14-1323 – Concerning Restrictions on the Ability of a Government Entity to Access an Individual’s Personal Medical Information, by Rep. Dianne Primavera and Sens. Kevin Lundberg & John Kefalas. The bill places restrictions on the Department of Revenue’s use of personal medical information, and requires the DOR to receive an individual’s permission before accessing personal medical information.
HB 14-1322 – Concerning the Colorado Probate Code, by Rep. Mike McLachlan and Sen. Ellen Roberts. The bill makes several changes to the Colorado Probate Code provisions concerning control and distribution of estate assets.
HB 14-1363 – Concerning the Nonsubstantive Revision of Statutes in the Colorado Revised Statutes, as Amended, and, in Connection Therewith, Amending or Repealing Obsolete, Imperfect, and Inoperative Law to Preserve the Legislative Intent, Effect, and Meaning of the Law, by Rep. Bob Gardner and Sen. Ellen Roberts. This bill, the Revisor’s Bill, makes several nonsubstantive changes to the Colorado Revised Statutes in order to repeal or amend obsolete or unclear provisions of the law.
HB 14-1379 – Concerning Clarifying the Application of the Spousal Maintenance Statutes, by Rep. Beth McCann and Sen. Andy Kerr. The bill clarifies the applicability of prior spousal maintenance statutes in cases filed prior to January 1, 2014.
SB 14-184 – Concerning Oversight of the Industrial Hemp Program, by Sen. Gail Schwartz and Rep. Don Coram. The bill modifies existing statutes related to the industrial hemp program and creates an industrial hemp research grant program.
SB 14-191 – Concerning the Procedures for Resolution of Workers’ Compensation Claims, by Sen. Lois Tochtrop and Rep. Dan Pabon. The bill makes several changes to provisions regarding the resolution of workers’ compensation claims.
SB 14-206 – Concerning Criminal Record Sealing Provisions, and, in Connection Therewith, Relocating the Record Sealing Provisions in a New Part, Clarifying when an Arrest Record can be Sealed, and Making Other Clarifying Changes, by Sen. Pat Steadman and Rep. Jonathan Singer. The bill reorganizes statutes regarding sealing of criminal records and relocates them to another section of statute.
HB 14-1156 – Concerning Extending the Age of Eligibility for the Child Nutrition School Lunch Protection Program, and, in Connection Therewith, Making and Reducing Appropriations, by Rep. Kevin Priola and Sen. Lois Tochtrop. The bill expands eligibility for the Child Nutrition School Lunch Protection Program from kindergarten through 2nd Grade to kindergarten through 12th Grade.
HB 14-1301 – Concerning the Safe Routes to School Program, and, in Connection Therewith, Making and Reducing Appropriations, by Rep. Dianne Mitsch Bush and Sen. Andy Kerr. The bill appropriates funds to the CDOT in order to continue the Safe Routes to School program, which distributes funds to projects to improve the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists in school areas.

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