VIDEO: Florida Man’s Life Ruined Because of False ‘Red Flag’ Laws
Watch the below video – this is what is happening under Florida’s Red Flag Law, SB 7026. and its unconstitutional Risk Protection Orders (RPOs). Fifty four Republican Representatives voted for this terrible law and all but 6 FL Senators did the same.
QUESTION: Have you asked the Clerk of Court from your county how many of the RPOs issued resulting in ex parte seizures without Due Process were overturned or vacated the after the seizure hearing 14 days later?
Who is being held accountable when these reports to LE of someone being a threat are found to be lies?
Steven Linne for Florida House posted the video titled “Red Flagged – SB7026” below on YouTube.
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In Polk County, as of 20 Nov ’19, according to our Clerk of Court 50 of 525 Risk Protection Orders (RPOs) “respondents” whose firearms and ammo were seized ex parte without a hearing or Due Process were found at hearing 14 days later not to be a threat and their property was returned. This is 10% and way too many.
These folks went thru humiliation and anxiety of a no notice seizure by LE; the expense of hiring an attorney to represent them (LE has their attorney present); and now have to fight the bureaucracy of being taken off the FL and National Criminal Data Bases (NCIS). Furthermore there is no guarantee under the Risk Protection Order law codified in SB 7026 that their property be returned in the same condition as seized.
When I asked State Attorney Brian Hass, 10th Judicial Circuit, at a recent Polk County Republican Executive Committee meeting (REC) who is monitoring the RPO process to insure it is not abuses his response was “Not in my lane – will have to go to FL Legislature and/or Courts” for the answer. The real answer is NO ONE is monitoring this terrible law which violates individual rights under the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th and 14th Amendments.
Where is the NRA? Where is the Unified Sportsman of FL? Where is Marion Hammer? Where is FL Carry ? Where is any other 2A advocacy group? The answer is – chirp (crickets)-nowhere. When I asked chief litigator of NRA-ILA when will they file suit against this and other Red Flag Laws (18 states now have them) the answer I received was “we’re waiting for the right case”.
Surely the right case(s) have already occurred so let’s see some action please.
The FL Legislature has tipped the scales way too far to the side of Public Safety and away from individual rights. There are numerous alternatives to dealing with threatening people with weapons including the Baker Act, the Marchman Act, Court Injunctions against domestic violence and public threats and existing FL assault laws – we didn’t need this knee jerk reaction to a total failure of the Broward County Sheriff’s Dept, local FBI, BC School Board and Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS Administration to protect students.
Join the growing coalition of conservative groups like the Winiter Haven 912, the Republican Liberty Caucus and Campaign for Liberty in opposing the Risk Protection Order (Red Flag Law) unconstitutional process including taking it our of SB 7026 all together or amending it significantly.