Opinion ID: 705140
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the fifth amendment vagueness challenge

Text: 27 Section 924(a)(5) of the Act provides that [w]hoever knowingly violates subsection (s) of the Act is subject to fine or imprisonment or both. Mack and Printz contend that this provision subjects them to criminal liability for failing to make a reasonable effort to ascertain whether a particular purchase would violate the law, as required by section 922(s)(2). So construed, the criminal provision is unconstitutionally vague, according to Mack and Printz, because a person of reasonable intelligence has no way of knowing what may constitute a reasonable effort. 28 It is not at all clear, however, that section 924(a)(5) is intended to apply to the Act's requirements imposed upon CLEOs. Indeed, the Montana district court viewed the criminal prohibition as ambiguous in that regard, and concluded that it did not apply to CLEOs. 29 We decline to reach this issue, however, because it is not ripe. 12 Mack and Printz have not been charged under the Act with any criminal violations, nor are they likely to be. The United States represented during oral argument that the Justice Department's official position is that the criminal sanctions of the Brady Act do not apply to CLEOs. Because Mack and Printz do not face a credible threat of prosecution, San Francisco County Democratic Cent. Comm. v. Eu, 826 F.2d 814, 821 (9th Cir.1987), aff'd 489 U.S. 214, 109 S.Ct. 1013, 103 L.Ed.2d 271 (1989), there is no case or controversy. See Campbell v. Wood, 18 F.3d 662, 680 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 2125, 128 L.Ed.2d 682 (1994). 13 In the extremely unlikely event that a criminal prosecution is one day brought against a CLEO, the constitutional objection may be raised in defense at that time. 30 We therefore vacate the ruling of the District Court of Arizona that the criminal provisions apply to CLEOs and are void for vagueness, as well as the ruling of the District Court of Montana that the criminal provisions do not apply to CLEOs. These claims are to be dismissed as unripe.