Source: https://www.scribd.com/document/217613897/Filed-Fisher-Supplemental-Amicus-Brief
Timestamp: 2017-01-22 02:50:07
Document Index: 277096322

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 9', '§ 1203', '§ 1203', '§ 1203', '§ 1203', '§ 711', '§ 925', '§ 12021', '§ 921']

Filed Fisher Supplemental Amicus Brief | Treason
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ALAN BECK Attorney at Law 4780 Governor Drive San Diego, California 92122 Telephone: (619) 971-0414 Email: alan.alexander.beck@gmail.com Attorney for Amicus Curiae Hawaii Defense Foundation
KIRK FISHER.,
LOUIS KEALOHA, as an individual and in his official capacity as Honolulu Chief of Police, PAUL PUTZULU, as an individual and in his official capacity as former acting Honolulu Chief of Police, and CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU,.;
Civ. No. 11-00589 ACK-BMK Supplemental Amicus Brief
; Defendants. ________________________________
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Supplemental Amicus Brief Comes now the Amicus Curiae Hawaii Defense Foundation (“HDF”) and submits this supplemental brief in support of Plaintiff Kirk Fisher challenge to Defendants denial of a permit to acquire firearms. For purposes of this brief, HDF assumes Defendant’s most recent allegations are true and Mr. Fisher underlying crime satisfies HRS 134-7 requirements. As applied to Mr. Fisher H.R.S. 134-7 is unconstitutional.. Moreover, all arguments that cold have been raised in the original briefing are improper. Defendants Improperly Raise Arguments “The purpose of a motion for reconsideration is to allow parties to present new evidence and/or arguments that could not have been presented during the earlier adjudicated motion.” AMFAC, Inc. v. Waikiki Beachcomber Inv. Co., 74 Haw. 85, 114, (1992) (citations omitted) (in affirming circuit court’s denial of Amfac’s motion for reconsideration, holding that Amfac’s only “new” argument advanced in support of its motion for reconsideration could and should have been made in support of its underlying motion for summary judgment). Defendants have filed a motion for reconsideration in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Castleman, No. 12-1371. This Court should only entertain those arguments that could not have been in the
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original briefing. Defendants could have and did not raise qualified immunity in the previous briefing. Accordingly, this argument should be ignored by the Court. To the extent Defendants expand upon their argument regarding Mr. Fisher’s alcohol treatment, that to should be ignored as well.
H.R.S. 134-7 Has No Federal Mandate
Defendants suggest that H..R.S. 134-7 is an application of federal law onto Mr. Fisher. As the Ninth Circuit ruling in United States v. Chovan, 735 F.3d 1127, (9th Cir. 2013) illustrates, H.R.S. 134-7 has no federal mandate and is unconstitutional as applied to Mr. Fisher. The Ninth Circuit applied intermediate scrutiny in finding California’s adoption of Lautenberg fulfills federal intent and is constitutional largely because California has an expungement process which allows domestic violence offenders to regain their firearms rights. Unlike California, Hawaii has no means to expunge or set aside a conviction of any crime of violence. Accordingly, Hawaii can not purport to properly apply federal law because Lautenberg explicitly requires States to have some means to restore rights in order to properly apply its provisions. The plain language of the Lautenberg Amendment contemplates some mechanism for reinstating Second Amendment rights after a misdemeanor
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conviction for domestic violence by having the conviction set aside or expunged. 18 U.S .C. § 9 21(a )(33 )(B)(i i)1. Such is the case in California. California, where Chovan was convicted, makes expungement of misdemeanor convictions a right. Under § 1203.4a(a) of the California Penal Code, all misdemeanants can have their convictions expunged after completion of their sentences if they have not been charged with or convicted of a further crime and have "lived an honest and upright life." Moreover, defendants must be informed of this right to expungement "either orally or in writing, at the time he or she is sentenced." Id. at § 1203.4a(c)(1). Prosecuting attorneys have fifteen days from the filing of the petition for dismissal with the court to object. Id. at § 1203.4a(f). This participation of the district attorneys in the process allows California to maintain some adversarial integrity in the expungement proceedings, as the district attorney can oppose the motion if the convict's rehabilitation is doubtful. This system places the evaluation of the convict's rehabilitation, vel non, in the state. Indeed, California courts have interpreted § 1203.4a(a) to mandate expungement when misdemeanants have complied with its terms. See, e.g., People v. Chandler, 203 Cal.App.3d 782, 250 Cal.Rptr. 730, 734 (1988) ("[A] defendant moving under Penal Code section 1203.4a is entitled as a matter of right to its benefits upon a showing that he has fulfilled the conditions of probation for the entire period of probation. It was apparently intended that when a defendant has satisfied the terms of probation, the trial court should have no discretion but to carry out its part of the bargain with the defendant.") HDF concedes that in accordance with Planck’s constant a gubernatorial pardon could in theory partially restore Second Amendment rights. Mr. Fisher would still be unable to purchase firearms in other states in order to own in Hawaii as these pardons only apply within Hawaii. As a more practical matter a pardon must specifically state it restores Second Amendment rights and these pardons are not granted. Moreover, there is no procedure or guidelines to apply for such a pardon, if Defendants rely on this theoretical pardon, HDF requests it be allowed additional briefing to address the numerous constitutional violations relying on this process alone would impose upon Mr. Fisher.
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(citations and quotation marks omitted). United States v. Chovan, 735 F.3d 1127, 1152 (9th Cir. 2013) (Justice Pregerson concurring).
Mr. Fisher Only Challenges Hawaii Law This Court has no need to look beyond H.R.S. 134-7 to determine whether Defendants conduct is constitutional. Unlike the litigant in Chovan supra, Mr. Fisher grievance is Hawaii law unconstitutionally deprives him of his Second Amendment rights. As Chovan supports, Hawaii law has no federal mandate and any reliance Defendants place on it is fallacious. Section 922 is in part a federalism-based statute. It looks to state law, passing restrictions on certain convicts based on decisions made by state legislatures and courts. Section 922 also ceases to apply if convicts have satisfied the state procedures for expungement. This helps the statute satisfy the narrow tailoring prong of strict scrutiny. It allows those who no longer pose a threat to society to demonstrate their rehabilitation and reclaim their Second Amendment rights. It is not a blunt instrument. Rather, it targets only those whom the states continue to deem not rehabilitated. Id at 1152 (Justice Pregerson concurring).
Unlike what federal law requires, Hawaii gives no means for its citizens to prove that they have been rehabilitated. Accordingly, H.R.S. 1347 does not have a federal mandate and must be judged on its own merits. As applied to Mr. Fisher it unconstitutionally deprives him of his Second
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Amendment rights for life without any means to show he has been rehabilitated. As such, strict scrutiny should apply. Strict Scrutiny Applies The first Ninth Circuit District Court to apply the Chovan analysis held in Morris v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (D. Idaho Jan. 10, 2014); To evaluate this argument, the Court will employ the two-step analysis set out in U.S. v. Chovan, 735 F.3d 1127 (9th Cir. 2013). The Court must determine first “whether the challenged law burdens conduct protected by the Second Amendment.” Id. at 1136. The second step is to “apply an appropriate level of scrutiny.” Id. The “appropriate level” depends on (1) “how close the law comes to the core of the Second Amendment right,” and (2) “the severity of the law’s burden on the right.” Id. at 1138 (quoting Ezell v. City of Chicago, 651 F.3d 684, 705 (7th Cir.2011)). The Court must ask first whether the Corps’ regulation burdens conduct protected by the Second Amendment. It does. The Second Amendment protects the right to carry a firearm for self-defense purposes. Heller, 554 U.S. at 628 (stating that “the inherent right of self-defense has been central to the Second Amendment right”). The second step is to apply the appropriate level of scrutiny. That inquiry turns on how close the regulation cuts to the core of the Second Amendment and how severe the burden is on that right. No court has identified those core rights comprehensively. But one core right was described by the Supreme Court: The right of a law-abiding individual to possess a handgun in his home for self-defense. District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008). In addressing the need for self-defense in the home, the Supreme Court held that the home is “where the need for defense of self, family, and property is most acute.” Id. at 628. The same analysis applies to a tent. While often temporary, a tent is more importantly a place – just like a home – where a person withdraws from public view, and seeks privacy and security for himself and perhaps also for his family and/or his property…The regulation at issue would ban firearms and
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ammunition in a tent on the Corps’ sites. This ban poses a substantial burden on a core Second Amendment right and is therefore subject to strict scrutiny.(emphasis added) Id at 4-5.
Unlike Chovan which dealt with a proper state application of Lautenberg which provided a clear and defined mechanism for restoration of rights, Mr. Fisher is permanently barred from possessing firearm in defense of hearth and home. This amounts to a destruction of the Second Amendment right and strict scrutiny must be applied.
The Conviction Must Still Be Evaluated For Conduct
This Court should apply the analysis from its September 30 th 2013 order to determine what type of conduct applies to Defendants depriving Mr. Fisher of his Second Amendment rights. H.R.S. has no federal mandate which means the Mr. Fisher is barred solely due to H.R.S. 134-7. While any violation of HRS. § 711-1106(1)(a), is a crime of violence, this Court must still determine the severity of the underlying act to properly decide the constitutionality of Defendants actions. This crime ranges from a slight offensive poke to a blow which causes injury. This impacts egregiousness of the conduct, whether the named Defendants should have known denying a permit to Mr. Fisher violated his rights, and likely other aspects of this case.
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Consistent with this Court’s recent decision the modified categorical approach should be applied. There is no admissible evidence. Accordingly the question before this Court is whether a slightly offensive touching i.e. the common law crime of battery is grounds for permanent removal of Second Amendment right. Chovan is highly distinguishable. It follows a series of cases addressing the constitutionality of removing firearms rights for domestic violence as defined by Congress. In order to have a federal mandate a state must have enacted a restoration process. Mr. Fisher had no means to establish he no longer is a person that should not possess firearms. Congress did not intend for persons so situated to be punished via Lautenberg. This Court must use Chovan’s two step analysis and independently analyze H.R.S. 134-7 which relies solely on common law to define a crime of violence. The first step is did Mr. Fisher commit a crime that at Common Law disqualified one from Second Amendment rights? HDF has already largely briefed this issue in a supplemental brief. However the treason was not addressed so it does so here for the convenience of this Court.
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There were two types of treasons at common law. These were petit treasons and high treasons. Petty treason or petit treason was an offence under the common law of England which involved the betrayal of a superior by a subordinate. It differed from the high treason in that high treason can only be committed against the Sovereign. The common law offence of petit treason covered the murder of ones master2 and various other types of betrayals3. Common law petit treasons were codified in the Treason Act 1351 and removed all betrayals listed in footnote 3 from the definition of treason other than counterfeiting which it elevated to a high treason. As the Common Law of England is applicable to our law at the time of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution the removed betrayals are not part of our Common Law. In England, there was no clear common law definition of high treason; it was for the king and his judges to determine if an offence constituted high treason. The Treason Act 1351 was the first
Hale's History of Pleas of the Crown (1800 ed.) vol. 1, chapter XXIXX at 380. (these were a wife killing her husband, a clergyman killing his prelate, or a servant killing his master or mistress, or his master's wife)
These were a wife attempting to kill her husband, a servant forging his master's seal, or a servant committing adultery with his master's wife or daughter and finally counterfeiting. Ibid.
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attempt to enumerate the high treasons. It found high treason encompassed causing the death of the sovereign, or of the sovereign's wife or eldest son and heir, violating the sovereign's wife, or the sovereign's eldest unmarried daughter, or the sovereign's eldest son's wife levying war against the sovereign in the realm adhering to the sovereign's enemies, giving them aid and comfort, in the realm or elsewhere killing the King's Chancellor, Treasurer (an office long in commission) or Justices. The list of high treasons was built upon via subsequent treason acts throughout English history. A compete list is not necessary as they all follow the same theme. As applied to our nation, any act of sedition which constitutes a federal felony should be deemed the equivalent to a high treason. Just as with the felonies, conviction for treasons permanently cast one outside the law4. Accordingly, those convicted of their
In the common law of England, a judgment of (criminal) outlawry was one of the harshest penalties in the legal system, since the outlaw could not use the legal system to protect them if needed, e.g. from mob justice. To be declared an outlaw was to suffer a form of civil death. The outlaw was debarred from all civilized society. No one was allowed to give him food, shelter, or any other sort of support — to do so was to commit the crime of aiding and abetting, and to be in danger of the ban oneself. An outlaw might be killed with impunity; and it was not only lawful but meritorious to kill a thief flying from justice — to do so was not murder. Because the outlaw has
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modern day equivalents are presumptively disqualified from Second Amendment rights. Conviction of a common law misdemeanor does not presumptively remove Second Amendment rights. Hence, removal of rights pursuant to a common law misdemeanor5, must survive heightened scrutiny in order to survive constitutional muster. Strict scrutiny should be used evaluate the use of a slight offensive touching as a basis to remove Second Amendments rights., However as held in District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008) and more recently by the Ninth Circuit in Peruta v. County of San Diego (9th Cir. Feb. 13, 2014) a categorical/permanent ban on Mr. Fisher’s right to own a handgun is unconstitutional applying any level of scrutiny. This is because Defendants actions result in a complete destruction of Mr. Fisher’s rights. This is all the argument required, but this matter is further distinguishable from Chovan. Restoring Mr. Fisher’s Rights Impacts Few People The Chovan Court noted ruling in favor of the litigant’s as applied challenge would create a “a significant exception to § defied civil society, that society was quit of any obligations to the outlaw — outlaws had no civil rights, could not sue in any court on any cause of action, though they were themselves personally liable. In effect, (criminal) outlaws were criminals on the run who were "wanted alive or dead 5 That includes crimes that are considered felonies by modern day Courts.
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922(g)(9)” when “Congress permissibly created a broad statute that only excepts those individuals with expunged, pardoned, or set aside convictions”. Ruling in favor of Mr. Fisher will impact a very small group of Hawaiian residents who would be entitled and eligible to have their rights restored if the H.R.S. adopted federal law appropriately. In every other state in the Union, Mr. Fisher would be entitled to and qualified to have his firearms right restored just as Congress intended. Furthermore, federal Law provides a means for disqualified persons to have their “right to keep and bear arms” restored under procedures promulgated and implemented by the Attorney General. 18 U.S.C. § 925( c). That remedy is currently unavailable as Congress refuses to fund the program. U.S. v. Bean, 537 U.S. 71 (2002). Assuming Mr. Fisher did have his rights restored via federal law, H.R.S. 134-7 would still find his crime of violence grounds to disqualify him which is further support it has no federal mandate. Defendants Have Not Provided Applicable Empirical Data The Chovan Court’s ruling was heavily impacted by Defendants submitting empirical data which showed a high rate of recidivism among all persons prohibited by Lautenberg in order to show the legitimacy of
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Congress enacting this provision. The as applied challenge in Chovan was denied in large part because the Court wished to give Congress deference in enacting aggregate policy when it has mandated states provide a mechanism to restore rights. (“[S]ome categorical disqualifications are permissible: Congress is not limited to case-by-case exclusions of persons who have been shown to be untrustworthy with weapons, nor need these limits be established by evidence presented in court.”). Defendants have not provided similar research to show the benefits H.R.S. 134-7 provides the State of Hawaii. H.R.S. 134-7 disarms for life over any “crime of violence”. This includes consensual fist fights and other benign behavior associated with ones formative years. Unsurprisingly and unlike the Defendants in Chovan, Defendants took no effort to defend H,R.S. 134-7 indefensible restrictions via empirical data. It referenced one study on dealing with the purchasing habits of 2134 year olds convicted of domestic violence under California’s proper adoption of Lautenberg and is not relevant. To what degree academic research is needed to aid this Court’s ensuing decision it should rely on “A Longitudinal Study of Arrested Batterers, 1995-2005: Career Criminals” (attached). It supports Congress passage of Lautenberg for the purpose of reducing crime. It found almost 75% of offenders were arrested within nine
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years of their initial arrest. However, recidivism is most prevalent within the first two years after conviction. After that recidivism greatly decreases. The study concludes after tracking its subjects for ten years. Over 25% of the population leaves study without committing a violent crime. This directly supports the propriety of California’s intent to restore firearms rights through its automatic restoration of civil rights after ten years without incident. See California Penal Code § 12021 (c)( 1) [29805]. The federal government does not recognize this provision and the Chovan Court found that civil rights did not include firearm rights as contemplated by § 921(a)(33)(B)(ii). Chovan at 9. However the underlying policy is supported by the submitted research. The Court found that California’s other restoration mechanisms were sufficient to apply federal law and a person who is law abiding post conviction is eligible within ten years of conviction for a misdemeanor conviction in nearly all cases. Conclusion HDF concedes that it revised its brief beyond what was contemplated. However the study it belatedly discovered put many unconnected facts into alignment. Constitutional avoidance and legislative deference are code words for Article III Courts respect federalism. Only at the outer limits of state experimentation do they apply constitutional safeguards. Hawaii has
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past into that outer realm due to indifference rather than intent. The government refuses to expend resources needed to update state law which is required to properly apply the federal law. It proceeded to refuse the opportunity given by this Court and continued to assault Mr. Fisher’s rights. Without this Court applying its authority granted to it by Article III of the U.S. Constitution nothing will be done to restore the basic principles of ordered liberty every other State ensures for its citizens.
Respectfully submitted this 10th day of April, 2014 / s/Alan Beck Alan Beck (HI Bar No. 9145)
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE On this, the 10th of April, 2014, I served the foregoing pleading by electronically filing it with the Court’s CM/ECF system, which generated a Notice of Filing and effects service upon counsel for all parties in the case. I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
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