A Special Note To Maryland Gun Owners

dZ · October 17, 2002, 01:14 PM

A SPECIAL NOTE TO MARYLAND GUN OWNERS
http://www.direct-action.org/Articles/knock.html
(October 7, 2002) The terrorist attacks that plague our region obviously raise alarm for us all. Unfortunately, it now appears that gun owners may have to be just as concerned about government's reaction to the attacks. Politicians are already playing their games, and law abiding gun owners must pay.

County Executive Doug Duncan and his crew have waved rifles in the face of TV cameras telling viewers "report to the police anyone who has one of these." People are responding accordingly, with neighbors turning in neighbors based only on the knowledge that they own guns.

The witch hunt is on, driven more by the need to condition views of an electorate about to vote than by sound police investigative procedures.

Whether because of this or from dealers giving up their customer lists, police are going door to door to interview people solely based on their suspicion of owning a rifle. The source of our angst is the wanton politicizing of a crisis, leading to apparently unconstrained police activity. Law-abiding citizens may now fall under the veil of suspicion simply for a disinterest in humoring a detective looking for any rifles he can get his hands on. We have credible reports of citizens being asked to voluntarily give over their property for police analysis as well.

A terrorist crisis such as what we face is the most important time for us to honor the Constitution, Bill of Rights and our system of government --- not suspend them.

In the interest of helping our readers avoid becoming incidential victims sacrificed on the altar of Doug Duncan's anti-gun ambitions, we asked Howard J. Fezell, a lawyer practicing in Maryland, to give us a quick summary of how to respond if police come to your door looking for your rifles. His reply is appended. We encourage you to think through what you'll do before dealing with a police visit. Bring this up with your lawyer and make sure you have sound advice ahead of time. -- Editor.

1. All contacts should be on your front porch. Nobody gets inside of the house. Better yet, talk to them through the screen door, with the screen door locked.

2. It would be a good idea to make mental notes of where you were at the time of these attacks. If they inquire about this, tell them where you were.

3. If they want to know what kind of firearms you own, just tell them to check the databases maintained by the MSP and BATF.

4. If they want to examine any firearm you own, politely decline. If they persist, then you should insist that they obtain a warrant. (It would be at this juncture that you give them the name and phone number of your lawyer, inviting them to make all further contacts through him. Politely excuse yourself and go inside.)

Howard J. Fezell, Esq.
301 846 0241
fezell @ fred.net

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A SPECIAL NOTE TO GUN CLUBS AND THEIR OFFICERS

(October 10, 2002) The witch hunt is continuing and we now know police agencies are making blanket requests that all gun clubs in the state give up their full membership rosters to the government.

If police need something specific for the purpose of their on-going terrorist investigation, then they'd be asking for it. All evidence we have so far -- and confirmed to us by investigators in a position to know -- tell us that these requests to clubs are an aggressive overreach simply to archive the information for future use.

When you weigh a response to the police agency, remember the potential liability you face from your membership if your disclosure of private information without an appropriate legal basis leads to unfair police harassment of a citizen. Don't add your fellow club members to the pool of "suspicious persons" just because police want to get away with whatever they can under the guise of an anti-terrorist investigation.

Here is a simple message you might consider using in response (though it would be best to consult with your organization's legal counsel when crafting your plan):

"We're at least as shocked as you are about what has been going on, and if we encounter anything that is even remotely suspicious we will be the first to give you a call. In the mean time, our organization maintains a privacy policy that precludes us from indiscriminately divulging membership information. If there is something specific you need, please be sure to have all the appropriate paperwork ready for our lawyer to review when you serve the warrant. Please have a nice day."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please report to us all contacts your organization have with police or media in this regard so we can monitor for overreach.
purtilo @ direct-action.org

October 17, 2002, 01:14 PM	#1
dZ Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 1999 Location: Exiled, Fetid Swamp, DC Posts: 7,548	A Special Note To Maryland Gun Owners A SPECIAL NOTE TO MARYLAND GUN OWNERS http://www.direct-action.org/Articles/knock.html (October 7, 2002) The terrorist attacks that plague our region obviously raise alarm for us all. Unfortunately, it now appears that gun owners may have to be just as concerned about government's reaction to the attacks. Politicians are already playing their games, and law abiding gun owners must pay. County Executive Doug Duncan and his crew have waved rifles in the face of TV cameras telling viewers "report to the police anyone who has one of these." People are responding accordingly, with neighbors turning in neighbors based only on the knowledge that they own guns. The witch hunt is on, driven more by the need to condition views of an electorate about to vote than by sound police investigative procedures. Whether because of this or from dealers giving up their customer lists, police are going door to door to interview people solely based on their suspicion of owning a rifle. The source of our angst is the wanton politicizing of a crisis, leading to apparently unconstrained police activity. Law-abiding citizens may now fall under the veil of suspicion simply for a disinterest in humoring a detective looking for any rifles he can get his hands on. We have credible reports of citizens being asked to voluntarily give over their property for police analysis as well. A terrorist crisis such as what we face is the most important time for us to honor the Constitution, Bill of Rights and our system of government --- not suspend them. In the interest of helping our readers avoid becoming incidential victims sacrificed on the altar of Doug Duncan's anti-gun ambitions, we asked Howard J. Fezell, a lawyer practicing in Maryland, to give us a quick summary of how to respond if police come to your door looking for your rifles. His reply is appended. We encourage you to think through what you'll do before dealing with a police visit. Bring this up with your lawyer and make sure you have sound advice ahead of time. -- Editor. 1. All contacts should be on your front porch. Nobody gets inside of the house. Better yet, talk to them through the screen door, with the screen door locked. 2. It would be a good idea to make mental notes of where you were at the time of these attacks. If they inquire about this, tell them where you were. 3. If they want to know what kind of firearms you own, just tell them to check the databases maintained by the MSP and BATF. 4. If they want to examine any firearm you own, politely decline. If they persist, then you should insist that they obtain a warrant. (It would be at this juncture that you give them the name and phone number of your lawyer, inviting them to make all further contacts through him. Politely excuse yourself and go inside.) Howard J. Fezell, Esq. 301 846 0241 fezell @ fred.net >>>>>>>>>>>>> A SPECIAL NOTE TO GUN CLUBS AND THEIR OFFICERS (October 10, 2002) The witch hunt is continuing and we now know police agencies are making blanket requests that all gun clubs in the state give up their full membership rosters to the government. If police need something specific for the purpose of their on-going terrorist investigation, then they'd be asking for it. All evidence we have so far -- and confirmed to us by investigators in a position to know -- tell us that these requests to clubs are an aggressive overreach simply to archive the information for future use. When you weigh a response to the police agency, remember the potential liability you face from your membership if your disclosure of private information without an appropriate legal basis leads to unfair police harassment of a citizen. Don't add your fellow club members to the pool of "suspicious persons" just because police want to get away with whatever they can under the guise of an anti-terrorist investigation. Here is a simple message you might consider using in response (though it would be best to consult with your organization's legal counsel when crafting your plan): "We're at least as shocked as you are about what has been going on, and if we encounter anything that is even remotely suspicious we will be the first to give you a call. In the mean time, our organization maintains a privacy policy that precludes us from indiscriminately divulging membership information. If there is something specific you need, please be sure to have all the appropriate paperwork ready for our lawyer to review when you serve the warrant. Please have a nice day." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Please report to us all contacts your organization have with police or media in this regard so we can monitor for overreach. purtilo @ direct-action.org __________________ "O tell the Lacedomecians to damn the torpedoes." BOTR, Chapter V: Some Monsters