Failure to prosecute ?

[justMike]

Thought this was worthy to post as it seems most of the gun control pressure is being exerted against the lawful gun owners. The innocent being punished as normal. Hope it isn't a dupe.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/09/19/gun-buyers-lie-and-try-only-12-prosecuted-editorials-debates/1288699002/

[divert_fuse]

Interesting. The AG's position (linked in the article) that targeting existing unlawful gun owners seems to me to stand or fall on how effectively the current protocol actually prevents lie-and-try purchases. You're sort of invited to think that 10K Californians attempt it, none get guns, and the AG has more important things to do with its resources than prosecute them. But maybe that's not how it actually works.

There was that case in Florida where supposedly some "responsible" civil servant didn't do the checks for 2 years and just waved everybody through, although I understand that may not be totally accurate after all. Regardless, that sort of thing can happen.

If the current protocol actually stops everybody attempting a lie-and-try, I suppose AG can legitimately say "Sure, we'll prosecute those people...if you give us more money. See the problem? Yeah, ball's in your court, guys. We don't run the treasury." But this (and other) relevant facts aren't available.

The article also conflates the suicide and homicide risk of guns ("Americans are shooting and killing themselves and each other at rates that dwarf trends in other developed nations"). I'd be willing to bet that habitual criminals are less suicidally depressed than the population at large, and that this whole issue basically isn't relevant to the gun suicide issue, but I don't actually know.

[BumBum]

Oh geez, of course they have to direct the criticism to "Trump's Justice Department". Never mind the fact that the lack of prosecutions has been a hallmark of every single administration before it. Obama's prosecution numbers were abysmally low as well.

[divert_fuse]

Oh geez, of course they have to direct the criticism to "Trump's Justice Department". Never mind the fact that the lack of prosecutions has been a hallmark of every single administration before it. Obama's prosecution numbers were abysmally low as well.

They do actually mention that Sessions ordered more prosecutions, and link to Becerra's "I can't, I'm too poor" excuse. It's reasonably balanced. And the fact is that Trump could probably ensure that more such cases were prosecuted, provided he was willing to put less effort and influence into something else. You can't not expect to take a share of the blame for all kinds of random stuff as president.

What's really missing in my opinion is any attempt to scrutinize the impact of these crimes w/r/t whether prohibited persons are actually obtaining any guns, since this goes towards the question of whether or not Trump or Becerra are right to ignore it. Since investigative journalism is proverbially dead, this is what we get these days. They have to put something in their papers or nobody will look at the ads.

[ar15barrels]

They do actually mention that Sessions ordered more prosecutions, and link to Becerra's "I can't, I'm too poor" excuse. It's reasonably balanced. And the fact is that Trump could probably ensure that more such cases were prosecuted, provided he was willing to put less effort and influence into something else.

I'm all good with diverting some of the food stamps and welfare funds to go after the low-hanging-fruit criminals.
We also need to re-vamp the prison systems to make them self sustaining.
Each prisoner should be paying for the costs the prisons are incurring to keep the prisoners locked up.
Figure out a way to sell prisoner labor to private industry and let the prisons become self sufficient.

[golfish]

Oh geez, of course they have to direct the criticism to "Trump's Justice Department". Never mind the fact that the lack of prosecutions has been a hallmark of every single administration before it. Obama's prosecution numbers were abysmally low as well.

I was thinking the same thing. How do these people sleep at night, do they really think that what they are doing is right and just.

[golfish]

I'm all good with diverting some of the food stamps and welfare funds to go after the low-hanging-fruit criminals.
We also need to re-vamp the prison systems to make them self sustaining.
Each prisoner should be paying for the costs the prisons are incurring to keep the prisoners locked up.
Figure out a way to sell prisoner labor to private industry and let the prisons become self sufficient.

All good suggestion

[divert_fuse]

Figure out a way to sell prisoner labor to private industry and let the prisons become self sufficient.

Throw all prisoners in horrible solitary confinement. If they complain, guards reply "Learn to code!"

[ar15barrels]

Throw all prisoners in horrible solitary confinement. If they complain, guards reply "Learn to code!"

If companies can build a script/software package that lets people in India act as customer support call center employees, there's no reason those same scripts/programs could not be used by prisoners in a call center inside a prison.
Bring the jobs back into the USA...

[GW]

If companies can build a script/software package that lets people in India act as customer support call center employees, there's no reason those same scripts/programs could not be used by prisoners in a call center inside a prison.
Bring the jobs back into the USA...

" Hi, I'm Melvin in San Quentin,. How can I help you?"

[ar15barrels]

" Hi, I'm Melvin in San Quentin,. How can I help you?"

I bet Melvin speaks clearer English than the Amazon rep in New Delhi that I was on the phone with today...

[Kevfin]

" Hi, I'm Melvin in San Quentin,. How can I help you?"

"Hi, I'm Melvin in San Quentin. What's your SS# and Credit Card info?"

[cdtx2001]

If companies can build a script/software package that lets people in India act as customer support call center employees, there's no reason those same scripts/programs could not be used by prisoners in a call center inside a prison.
Bring the jobs back into the USA...

The last thing you want is a prisoner with unrestricted access to a phone and computer.

Instead...


There's still lots of big rocks that need to be turned into little rocks.

There's still tons of trash on the side of the road

There's still lots of roads that need to be paved

[dozer wright]

You would think the D.a s across the country would literally say I want everyone of those cases on my desk it would be a great way to lead their states and get convicted felons off the street . Who are trying to purchase fire arms seems like a no brainer. Oh never mind.

[ChuckDizzle]

I'm all good with diverting some of the food stamps and welfare funds to go after the low-hanging-fruit criminals.
We also need to re-vamp the prison systems to make them self sustaining.
Each prisoner should be paying for the costs the prisons are incurring to keep the prisoners locked up.
Figure out a way to sell prisoner labor to private industry and let the prisons become self sufficient.

I generally agree with you, but this is a horrific idea. There never should be a positive incentive to increase prison populations. The end. In fact I want prisoners to be overwhelmingly expensive to provide disincentives in creating and enforcing the myriad of laws that infringe on many of my freedoms.