Sheriff vows not to enforce Colorado's tough new gun-control bills

[ellisonz]

The Colorado legislature has passed several gun control bills. If they're signed into law, one sheriff says he will not enforce them – mirroring the sentiments of many other rural sheriffs.
By Amanda Paulson, Staff writer / March 18, 2013
Boulder, Colo.

Colorado is on track to become the first state after New York to significantly increase gun control in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., shootings, with several bills passed by the legislature now awaiting an expected signature by Gov. John Hickenlooper.

The degree to which these measures get enforced, however, is a question mark.

Even before the bills had passed, the County Sheriffs of Colorado came out against the measures – urging a one-year wait after Newtown before any gun-control legislation was introduced. And now, at least one Colorado sheriff has said he doesn't support the new laws, and doesn't plan to enforce them.

“They’re feel-good, knee-jerk reactions that are unenforceable,” Weld County Sheriff John Cooke told the Greeley Tribune. "Criminals are still going to get their guns."

More: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2013/0318/Sheriff-vows-not-to-enforce-Colorado-s-tough-new-gun-control-bills

Looks like Colorado is going to need to wield the power of the purse to get these guys in line. Just more selfishness from the NRA types.

[freshwest]

1. The only criminal is this knee-jerk sheriff.

He should be stripped of office.

[jmg257]

2. Yep..elected officials, but legislature decides their salary.

Quite easy to show they are not earning their pay since they state it so plainly.

[Lizzie Poppet]

3. He should resign.

Opposing those new laws is one thing. Refusing to enforce them is another. The people of his district elected that sheriff to enforce laws, not enact or repeal them. They elected legislators to do the latter things. He's acting way, way beyond the scope of his purview. Until these laws are repealed or a court with jurisdiction voids them or issues a stay, an LEO can either enforce them or resign. Blowing them off is malfeasance.

[Travis_0004]

4. Actually it is the opposite

Since sherriffs are elected, they respond to the will of their voters. If a sheriff not enforcing laws pisses off the voters, then they can recall him or vote him out next election.


Also, people always bitch when people don't enforce laws they agree with, but never complain when laws they don't enforce laws they agree with.

If Eric Holder came out tomorrow, and said there was going to be a huge crackdown on illegal immigrants and pot smokers, this forum would blow up with outrage, yet those are laws on the books.

Whats the difference?

[CreekDog]

16. our immigration laws don't require a crackdown like you described to be enforced

and the new laws in Colorado are still the law and can't be ignored.

the idea that these sheriff's are somehow standing up for their own constituents by violating their oaths to the state and the nation and making themselves the arbiter of what's legal and illegal is not something that should be defended.

[rdharma]

7. He won't.

Last edited Wed Mar 20, 2013, 10:46 PM - Edit history (1)

Being an elected official, he can only be removed by a recall. That's not going to happen............ especially in rural Weld County.

In fact, he's grandstanding for the local yokels ......... and they eat this stuff up!

[madamesilverspurs]

5. Yep, that's my sheriff!

And he is, in fact, a piece of work. He'd initially stated that he's free to ignore the President's executive orders, so his refusal to enforce the new state laws is a surprise only to those who haven't yet encountered his monumental ego. He's also presently insisting that he's not leaving the job in spite of term limits that say otherwise; he's joined in that stance by the similarly term-limited-but-refusing-to-leave county clerk, a friend of ethically challenged Secretary of State Scott Gessler. Cooke is threatening to run for legislative office if forced to abide by term limits.

Sheriff Cooke, along with his BFF district attorney Ken "I don't wear high heels" Buck, got spanked by the state supreme court a couple years back. The two had invaded a local tax prep office that caters primarily to Hispanics, confiscated the records, then dove into those files to go trolling for "illegals". Court pinned their ears back for that. Cooke is also married to radio personality Amy Oliver, northern Colorado's version of Anne Coulter.

Stay tuned.

[ellisonz]

6. You have my condolences...and

Please keep us updated

[ProgressiveProfessor]

9. It is a minor technicality but Executive Orders only apply to the Federal Executive Branch

Not Congress, the Judiciary, or State and Local governments.

[madamesilverspurs]

10. Thanks, we know that.

It was mentioned as background to his latest remarks. You should have been here, though, for the sheer theatricality of his umbrage. Loud he is, Olivier he ain't.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. Many years ago in London we had a tour guide who was also a Shakespearean actor

He pointed out the Olivier's Hamlet was a Tour De Force, but he on the other hand was forced to tour.

Local yokels play to the local crowd, this is clearly no different. He will also enforce the new laws when he finds it convenient and not when he doesn't. Same for any cop shop anywhere.

[rdharma]

13. Colorado Revised Statutes aren't "executive orders"........

And those are the statutes Cooke is refusing to enforce.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

14. Perhaps you should reread the post I was replying to

Where is was pointed out that he had previously said he was not going to follow Presidential Executive Orders...

I also think he will enforce it when it suits him, like all other cop shops

[rdharma]

12. You live in the middle of kRaZyLAnD, CO!

Last edited Wed Mar 20, 2013, 11:40 PM - Edit history (1)

My sympathies! That's where the rightie zombie Apocalypse will take place.

I've never heard of Amy Oliver (1310 AM Greeley)...... but I have heard KHNC 1360 Johnstown, CO.

Those folks are batsheet crazy!

http://tunein.com/radio/KHNC-1360-s16926/

[Glamrock]

8. Is anyone else getting tired of this dumb fucking argument, or is it just me?

“They’re feel-good, knee-jerk reactions that are unenforceable,” Weld County Sheriff John Cooke told the Greeley Tribune. "Criminals are still going to get their guns."

Guess what, Barney Fife, drug laws don't stop people from getting and doing drugs. Rape laws don't stop rapists. Murder laws don't stop us from killing each other. Why have any laws at all? Idiot.

[guardian]

17. The mag ban is NOT enforceable.

People will still buy banned mags and bring them into the state. If caught, all that have to say is "Oh, I have owned this since prior to July 2013." What is the cop going to do? It is not illegal to possess high capacity magazines with the new law.

I predict gun stores in Farmington NM and Cheyenne WY will do a brisk business selling high capacity magazines. Anyone traveling to another state will just buy new magazines, pop it in their checked luggage and bring it home to Colorado.

This law is a total FAIL.

[Warren DeMontague]

15. Sure. They'll probably be too busy arresting people for smoking legal pot.