Bloomberg rides again...

[Lilred]

That man needs a butt whoopin lol...I hope the other state aint give in yet, Virginia's 2 are still holdin out.

NEW YORK - A federal judge said Friday that Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration did not commit a crime when it sent undercover investigators into gun shops to attempt illegal weapons purchases.

The city, which is suing the gun dealers, said the ruling was good news for its case, but the gun dealers believe it may also help their argument that they didn't do anything wrong either.

The sting operation was conducted two years ago as the basis for a civil lawsuit brought by the city against 27 gun dealers in Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia; Bloomberg targeted shops that the city believes are responsible for selling guns traced back to crimes in New York City.

Fifteen dealers have settled and agreed to let a special master monitor their sales, and a suit against several of the remaining 12 is proceeding in federal court in Brooklyn.

As part of the discovery process for the case, lawyers for some of the gun shops argued that the city had itself violated the law by attempting the illegal purchases.

Gun rights advocates and organizations like the National Rifle Association also have complained that Bloomberg's gun sting was a criminal stunt. And the Justice Department even did its own inquiry as to whether the city was out of bounds.

But U.S. Magistrate Judge Cheryl Pollak said Friday the court had found "that the city's actions do not constitute a crime or fraud."

In the sting operation, private investigators hired by the city wore hidden cameras and attempted "straw purchases," where one person fills out the legal forms and buys the gun for someone else. The scam, prohibited by federal law, is typically employed by people who cannot own firearms, such as convicted felons.

Pollak agreed with the city's argument that the critical factor in a straw purchase is the intent of the buyer. And in the purchases made by the city's investigators, the buyer did not hand over the purchased gun later.

"No 'straw' sale took place because ownership was never transferred," the judge wrote.

Bloomberg's criminal justice coordinator, John Feinblatt, applauded the decision.

"What the court has said today is exactly what we've said _ the only people who broke the law here were dealers who engaged in straw purchases," he said.

But an attorney for some of the defendants also welcomed the judge's ruling.

"Our side is getting stronger every day," said Carl Pierce. "These people engaging in these sales weren't doing anything illegal."

[Lilred]

Here's another article ya'll might find interstin....


ANNANDALE, Va. (AP) - More than 200 firearms enthusiasts - most of them openly armed - packed a normally sedate government building Thursday night, hoping to win a pistol or rifle and at the same time send a defiant message to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other gun-control advocates.

The Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun-rights group, organized the "Bloomberg Gun Giveaway" in large part to thumb its nose at New York's mayor. Bloomberg drew gun owners' ire by launching a series of out-of-state stings against gun shops suspected of allowing illegal straw purchases of firearms.

Two guns were awarded, a Para-Ordnance pistol and a Varmint Stalker rifle, each worth about $900. The winners did not immediately receive the weapons - they will still be required to undergo federal and state background checks. The first winner, Jay Minsky of Fairfax, responded with an obscene hand gesture when asked what message he hoped to send to Bloomberg.

"If he doesn't like people in New York having guns, he should deal with New York," said Minsky, who grew up in Brooklyn. "Just keep out of Virginia."

The event drew an overflow crowd at a Fairfax County Government building, with the fire marshal aggressively enforcing an occupancy limit of 150 for the meeting hall. Others stood outside and peered in through open windows.

The event also drew protests from gun-control advocates and the parents of those killed in last month's shootings at Virginia Tech. Peter and Cathy Read of Annandale, whose daughter Mary was one of those killed, silently held a photo of their daughter outside the building.

"We're not here to have a debate. We're here to witness for our daughter," Peter Read said. "The victims need to be witnessed to. People of the commonwealth can make intelligent decisions about what's right."

Philip Van Cleave, the league's president, said he is sympathetic to the families, but maintained that some of the deaths might have been prevented if somebody had been armed.

"We don't want another Virginia Tech," Van Cleave said.

Most of those in attendance said they were motivated not by the chance of a free gun, but to make a point to Bloomberg and express support for the Second Amendment.

"It'd be nice if I win, but that's not what this is about. It's about my constitutional right to defend myself," said Ron Stuebing of Sterling, a VCDL member.

The event had been planned for months as a fundraiser for two gun shops being sued by New York City. A raffle ticket was awarded for every $100 in purchases at the two gun shops, Bob Moates Sport Shop in Richmond and Old Dominion Gun and Tackle in Danville. But officials said that giveaway violated state gambling laws, so the league quickly organized a new giveaway, open to anybody who showed up at its Thursday night meeting.

Most but not all in attendance carried holstered handguns. In Virginia, individuals need a permit only to carry a concealed weapon. Openly visible, holstered guns are permitted without a permit.

Anybody who showed up at Thursday's event was eligible for the drawing - except Bloomberg and his immediate family, who were explicitly excluded from the contest by VCDL organizers.

New York City officials have sued more than two dozen gun dealers from Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia in federal court. The lawsuits were filed after private investigators went into the stores with hidden cameras and simulated an illegal straw purchase - in which one person fills out the paperwork and buys the gun for somebody else.

Justice Department officials have said that the private investigators conducting the stings may have been breaking the law themselves, and that none of the gun dealers caught in the stings would face federal prosecution.

Bloomberg and Virginia Attorney General Robert McDonnell also traded barbs after McDonnell told Bloomberg the stings were unwelcome and illegal under a new Virginia law that takes effect in July.

Asked Thursday about the giveaway, Bloomberg said, "I think it's sick, is the nicest ways to phrase it."

Van Cleave responded that the members of his organization are law-abiding citizens, including many retired military, police officers and firefighters.

"If you're saying these are sick people, then I'm proud to be sick," Van Cleave said.

[Lilred]

In other words...VA aint like it none when Bloomberg sent in his minions without the state knowin about it...so VA passed this law..
The bill passed the House of Delegates by a unanimous vote and the Senate by a vote of 30-10. It was signed into law, without amendment, by Governor Tim Kaine. The new law, “Makes it a Class 6 felony for any person, except for a law-enforcement officer in the performance of his official duties or other person under the direct supervision of the law-enforcement officer, to attempt to solicit or otherwise entice a firearms dealer to transfer or otherwise convey a firearm other than to an actual buyer. A person who willfully and intentionally aids or abets a person violating this provision is likewise guilty of a Class 6 felony.”


So then, a federal judge wound up "declarin" that he did nothin illegal. As of now however, VA state police or local authorities will be involved in anythin else Bloomberg may be dreamin up. Will that help us as gun owners in VA? I think so, and I hope the other states have already passed, or is passin, a similar law.