Oregon Sheriffs won't enforce laws against "law-abiding" gun owners

[Smilo]

WTF is the matter with these people...................

EUGENE, ORE. — More sheriffs in Oregon say they won’t enforce proposed new federal laws that could affect law-abiding gun owners.

Sheriffs from Douglas, Grant and Crook counties have followed Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller’s lead in telling Vice President Joe Biden in a letter that they wouldn’t work with federal officials to enforce potential gun laws they consider unconstitutional.

Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin says he expects more of his counterparts in Oregon to follow suit.

“I think the majority of the 36 sheriffs in the state are on the same page,” he told the Eugene Register-Guard.

Sheriffs such as Craig Zanni in Coos County and Mike Winters in Jackson County have made public statements backing Second Amendment rights but have not written to Biden.

Constituents have been pressuring sheriffs to express opposition to the new gun legislation.

“I literally have a kink in my neck from being on the phone all day with people, talking about this,” Zanni said.

Zanni said he didn’t disagree with Mueller and the other sheriffs who wrote Biden but said he waited until after reading about President Barack Obama’s proposals before issuing a letter to “the citizens of Coos County.”

Winters held a news conference to say he would not go so far as other sheriffs, but he said he would not support any effort that circumvented Second Amendment rights.

“The federal government is not going to come and seize one gun from the citizens of Jackson County,” he said.

The Medford Mail Tribune reported the city’s police chief, Tim George, supports renewing a ban on assault weapons that expired in 2004.

“We had it for 10 years, and we didn’t see it have an effect on responsible firearms ownership,” he said.

Lane County Sheriff Tom Turner said he’s got more pressing issues to deal with, in a county with a law enforcement budget that has been severely cut. But he said he plans to follow Zanni’s lead in issuing a letter in response to the questions and comments he’s been getting.

A spokeswoman with the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association said the group had not taken a formal stand.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. Grounds for removal. You are law enforcement. All laws. Not just the ones you like.

And you can't ignore the ones you don't like.

[atreides1]

2. I don't think they can be removed

Most county sheriffs are elected to office based on the laws of the state...it would be by state law that they are removed from office...look at Arpaio of Arizona...even the Justice Department couldn't find anything to bring criminal charges against him!

And it appears that these sheriffs have the support of the people...

[John2]

10. Explain this hypothetical scenario,

Suppose Federal Law Enforcement or the FBI went in Oregon and enforced Federal Laws like they did with marijuana busts. What do you think the local Sheriff will do based on the threat that Sheriff claims? Now which organization do you think would be obstructing the Law? I think you give too much weight to a county Sheriff. Just who do you think would win that fight and go to jail if Holder did his job? And if I was Holder, I would have the guts to have the show down. And let the county Sheriff claim Constitutional Rights all he wants. Just where do you think he gets that authority to interpret the Constitution? I suggest someone read up on the Laws and the Federal Law Enforcement Act. He needs to enforce both Federal and Local Laws, and has no discretion to deviate. He is not a Judge or Court. Look up the duties of a police officer. The Federal, State and Local courts all work in tandem within this Country's judicial system. Police officers have a specific role to enforce all Laws. If anyone would be usurping authority, it would be those dumb sheriffs. It would be a reason to remove all of them because they will be in violation of Federal Laws..

[Recursion]

8. How often does a sheriff enforce a Federal law?

The only time he'll have somebody's gun to turn over to the ATF is when they've been caught committing a crime by him, so they're not the "law abiding" people he's talking about.

[graham4anything]

3. So the sheriffs are anarchists I guess, either that or paid off by gun owners

[Purveyor]

4. Doesn't matter as none of these 'proposed rules' will make it into law. Just saying... eom

[former9thward]

5. This issue has already gone to court.

It was exactly the same -- a sheriff refusing to enforce a federal gun law. Mack and Printz v. United States, 521 U.S. 898 (1997). The Supreme Court ruled the sheriff had no duty to enforce federal law.

[davidpdx]

13. Nice citation pull

Sorry to hear about the outcome.

[hack89]

6. Mack and Printz v. United States says they can do what they say they will do. nt

[Recursion]

7. Sheriffs don't enforce Federal laws

It kind of goes without saying, you know?

[John2]

11. You have a source to

say Sheriff's ignore Federal Laws? So I can commit a Felony and the Sheriff would just watch it. How about armed Robbery or violating Civil Rights? So you are saying the Sheriff does not have to act when he sees a Felony in process?

[Recursion]

12. Err... The Constitution comes to mind

Sheriffs enforce county and state laws.

[hack89]

15. Mack and Printz v. United States, 521 U.S. 898 (1997).

they cannot be made to enforce federal laws.

Most states have armed robbery laws and other laws that define a wide range of felonies so they would have to act.

[gasser85]

9. But...

they'll be more than happy to ignore state law and bust someone for some Herb whose doing no harm.

[davidpdx]

14. Reverend Chuck Currie wrote a nice letter to the Oregon Attorney General

I happened to see it on Facebook. I don't know him personally, but some of my friends in Oregon know him. He encouraged the Oregon Attorney General to look into statements by some of the sheriffs in Oregon.