A LOT of fail in this article. CA DOJ broke a promise, the paper's tone is ridiculous, and the whole CA law situation.

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Agents seized 500 guns and 100,000 rounds of ammo from a family. They got them back.

Fresno BEE

http://www.sacbee.com/news/sta...rticle142606639.html

After a lengthy court fight, a Clovis family forced the return of 500 firearms seized by the California Department of Justice in 2015.

The weapons were confiscated by state DOJ agents acting on information that Albert Sheakalee was barred from owning guns because he was in the state’s Armed Prohibited Persons (APPS) database.

However, his attorney, Mark Coleman of Fresno, argued that Sheakalee did not know that he was in the database. Coleman said the justice department broke a promise to Sheakalee to keep the raid confidential until a court hearing determined whether he was mentally fit to own guns.

The arrest of Sheakalee and the gun seizure were highly publicized by the DOJ in a 2015 press release that received widespread media coverage. At the time of the arrest, the DOJ stated that Sheakalee was barred from firearms ownership “as a result of being taken into custody under Welfare and Institutions Code 5150,” under which officers can take someone in for evaluation if they are deemed a danger to themselves or others.

At the time of his arrest, Sheakalee had no prior criminal history, according to a check of the Fresno County Superior Court. He is the owner of the Green Gables Care Home in Clovis.

The issue took on renewed interest this year when President Donald Trump signed a bill scrapping an Obama administration regulation adding those receiving mental health disability benefits to the national firearm background-check database. Persons in the database are barred from buying guns.

No charges were ever filed against Sheakalee, but the firearms were not returned until Coleman went to court. On Dec. 12, 2016, Fresno County Superior Court Judge Jonathan Conklin ordered the guns turned over to a Fresno firearms dealer on behalf of the family.

Said Coleman: “As far as I am concerned, it was a real political deal. (California Attorney General Kamala) Harris was running for senator.”

Harris, who won election in November of 2016, declared her candidacy in January of 2015.

The state Attorney General’s Office in San Francisco did not return repeated requests for comment.

Under the California APPS system, teams of special agents of the attorney general travel through the state in black SUVs in search of those barred from possessing firearms by state law, including felons and those diagnosed as mentally unstable.

The agents who went to Sheakalee’s home seized 209 handguns, 88 shotguns, 234 rifles, 181 standard capacity magazines, 100,000 rounds of ammunition and 10 guns designated assault weapons under California law, including a .50 caliber bolt-action rifle.

Coleman, the attorney for Sheakalee, argued that the majority of the guns were bolt-action rifles and shotguns used for hunting along with legal handguns. The assault weapons were registered with the Department of Justice and all the weapons were in a locked safe with an alarm system, he said.

Coleman said, “the problem is with the way (the guns were seized.) This has been a pretty traumatic experience for the family.”

In a motion filed seeking the return of the guns on Dec. 5, 2016, Coleman argued that the DOJ stated Sheakalee was notified in July of 2015 that he could not own firearms. However, Coleman said, postal records indicate the letter was not delivered until Nov. 25, 2015, 13 days after Sheakalee was arrested for possessing the weapons. No charges were filed against Sheakalee by the Fresno County District Attorney.

On July 12, 2016, according to Coleman’s motion, the DOJ notified Sheakalee that charges against him were resolved, and he was told to contact DOJ Agent Chris Wagner to arrange for the disposition of the firearms. He was given 180 days to do so. The letter, signed by Special Agent Michael Haroldsen, also noted that “all evidence, (all personal property, including firearms) relating to your criminal case will be destroyed” if no response was received.

Coleman said several efforts were made to reach Wagner before Wagner responded and said that he could not release the guns until he contacted his supervisor, DOJ Agent Isaias Rivera. Coleman said when he contacted Rivera, he was told the weapons would not be returned. (The guns were returned this year.)

Supporters of Trump’s action to lift the firearm purchase ban for some receiving disability benefits argued that the ban was too broad and could include someone seeking help for such things as an eating disorder.

Coleman said targeting those seeking mental health care is “going to result in people refusing to seek mental health treatment” because they do not want to be in a database, causing “an incredible chilling effect.”

You would have to be crazy to seek mental health treatment under a system like that.

If you remained in Kali, you'd probably need mental health care. They rave about the climate. But practice the worst imaginable forms of repression.

This is more than just "fail", this was gov gone rouge in support of a viewpoint. It's been asked here on the forum many times, why are there no consequences to illegal actions?

quote:

Originally posted by SigSAC:
The agents who went to Sheakalee’s home seized 209 handguns, 88 shotguns, 234 rifles, 181 standard capacity magazines, 100,000 rounds of ammunition and 10 guns designated assault weapons under California law, including a .50 caliber bolt-action rifle.

It's good to have goals. I think my goal will be to match his collection. I'm surprised "cache" didn't make it into the story.

It seems that California legislators work tirelessly to separate residents of the state from their constitutional rights, and completely disregard due process along the way.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo Jones:
It seems that California legislators work tirelessly to separate residents of the state from their constitutional rights, and completely disregard due process along the way.

This is, indeed, a very accurate statement. The thing is, though, the stupids just keep re-electing these GDCs!

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo Jones:
It seems that California legislators work tirelessly to separate residents of the state from their constitutional rights, and completely disregard due process along the way.

because no one will ever go after the person personally that harmed them

its why the justice system is broken

you want justice, you will need to TAKE it yourself

then and only then will these government thugs realize the people aren't going to take it any more

Unintended Consequences is by absolute favorite book

the government employees should be afraid of the people, not the other way around

I am so ready to take up our oriental doctor's karma.

I wish my two safes held 500 firearms.

After they threw them in piles, scratching and gouging them in the process.

I'm surprised only 10 of them were classified "assault weapons."
(Yes, I'm aware it's a bullshit cali designation...)
Most of my rifles are some variant of an AR.

I know of a case in the late 70's that involved a city in southern CA that took a persons weapons on the case that he had an automatic weapon which turned out to be false.

Next when they had no case, they charged him with drug possession. They had planned to keep the firearms and had placed their individual initials on the grips of the handguns.

The Judge instructed them to turn the firearms over to an FFL to be sold with the procedures going to the owner. When they dragged their feet and failed to comply, the Judge hit them with Contempt. The firearms were finally transferred to an FFL which took over a year while in the meantime the individuals life was ruined with the false drug charges and losing his job.

I wonder how long it will be before California classifies my two Browning BAR hunting rifles as Military Weapons and try to ban them.