ACLU helps gun owner get back guns seized by sheriff

[Pox Eclipse]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-gun-guy-wins-20100721,0,7679239.story

With the slide of a drawer beneath a bullet-proof glass window at a police evidence warehouse, Robert Weinstein's Second Amendment right to possess firearms was vindicated on Wednesday.

"Thanks for keeping 'em safe for me," the 85-year-old Pompano Beach retiree told Yoli Brennan, evidence supervisor for the Broward Sheriff's Office.

She smiled at Weinstein as he placed his silver Colt semi-automatic .25-caliber pistol and heavy Wesson .357-caliber revolver in a brown paper bag.

Earlier Wednesday morning at the Broward County courthouse, Circuit Judge Dale Ross ruled in favor of Weinstein's petition by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.

Broward Sheriff's deputies seized the handguns in February, saying they believed he was about to shoot himself out of despair. His wife of 61 years, Dana Weinstein, died in January.

The ACLU defends constitutional rights without regard to political persuasion.  The bad rap it gets from the right is undeserved.   Any claim that it only takes on liberal causes is baloney. Freedom has a liberal bias.

Thoughts?

[ScottA]

I'm glad he got his property back though it looks like the Sheriff may have had a valid reason for taking his guns. There's no way to know for sure. Good on the ACLU for helping him.

[NM_Shooter]

Interesting way to keep score.  Plan on using this same metric for Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, the Tea Party folks and other conservative folks / organizations? 

[peternap]

Will somebody please explain to me why they care if he shoots himself.

Distressed Citizen: I've had enough. I'm going to shoot myself.

Officer: You can't do that. That's my job. You're under arrest for impersonating a Police Officer.

[Sassy]

From what I've seen, the ACLU usually interprets the Constitution according to the "far left radical liberal" interpretation - ie the way Kagen's history for supporting agendas has shown. 

I'm surprised that they would have supported this elderly man's gun rights...  hmmmm, maybe it's the "right to die" agenda they're supporting???   

[oblivionboyj]

The ACLU on whole has done some really good work.
Where they fail is not in their mission statement or the work they do, it is the fact that their directors are such statiststs.
Any supporter of the American left, or the American right establishments are at the least associated with statist policy.
They both have some good ideas.
The bottom line is that civil liberties are not owned by the left and fiscal prudence is not owned by the right.
All you have to do is look at our policies for the last ten years for proof.
A republican gubbermint brought us massive debt and new entitlements and a democratic gubbermint has decided the patriot act is a good idea.
They both have, in the past at least, had an appetite for circumventing out constitutional rights and spending our money like it is theirs to spend.
The best thing the ACLU could do is hire a director that is not part of the liberal elite intelligentsia.
I would prefer someone with libertarian views on property rights, but even a small l republican would do allot to give them back some much needed credibility.
Like I said though, for all their failings the ACLU has done some really good work.
I am kind of surprised to hear they took up a gun case.
One of my  complaints about them has always been that they do not take gun cases.
Civil liberties do not stop at the 1rst and 4th amendment, but include all of the first 10 as far as I am concerned.

[IronRanger]

democratic gubbermint has decided the patriot act is a good idea.

But established by a Republican...voted in by fear on both sides.  It's too bad they didn't fear their constituents more.

There's not a damn thing patriotic about the "Patriot" Act.

On-topic...maybe the ACLU's trying to burnish their image.  They certainly have a liberal image, but I agree with liberals on their ideas of freedom unrelated to government, ie the ability to express oneself without a caged area for "freedom of speech", love who you love and be who you are attitude.  I'm a fiscal conservative and old school conservative who believes we need to stay the hell out of other country's business. 

I support the ACLU, NRA and LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition).

I hope the ACLU continues their defense of gun owners.

[oblivionboyj]

But established by a Republican...voted in by fear on both sides.  It's too bad they didn't fear their constituents more.

There's not a damn thing patriotic about the "Patriot" Act.

Yes, I was just making the point that the democrats (or the left more accurately) do not have a monopoly on civil liberties.
They are just as prone to violate them as any republican.
A statist is a statis no matter the consanent by their name.
And no, the partiot act is decidedly unpatriotic.

Hope to see more of this type of thing from the ACLU.
It would be nice to count some more allies in politics than can be currently identified.

[Phssthpok]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-gun-guy-wins-20100721,0,7679239.story

With the slide of a drawer beneath a bullet-proof glass window at a police evidence warehouse, Robert Weinstein's Second Amendment right to possess firearms was vindicated on Wednesday.

"Thanks for keeping 'em safe for me," the 85-year-old Pompano Beach retiree told Yoli Brennan, evidence supervisor for the Broward Sheriff's Office.

She smiled at Weinstein as he placed his silver Colt semi-automatic .25-caliber pistol and heavy Wesson .357-caliber revolver in a brown paper bag.

Earlier Wednesday morning at the Broward County courthouse, Circuit Judge Dale Ross ruled in favor of Weinstein's petition by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.

Broward Sheriff's deputies seized the handguns in February, saying they believed he was about to shoot himself out of despair. His wife of 61 years, Dana Weinstein, died in January.

The ACLU defends constitutional rights without regard to political persuasion.  The bad rap it gets from the right is undeserved.   Any claim that it only takes on liberal causes is baloney. Freedom has a liberal bias.

Thoughts?

The national ACLU could give a rat's patootie about 2A rights.