A Good Start

Quote of the Day

Inadvertence and ignorance of the law by government is no more of an excuse for violating civil rights than when a citizen ‘inadvertently’ violates the law and is arrested and prosecuted. I will begin drafting my Complaint seeking relief, including personal fines against the city officials under whose jurisdiction this knowing and willful enactment occurred. You may want to inform the relevant officials that they are not allowed to use tax dollars to defend themselves from such liability, and that any fine assessed will be personally payable by them, to alleviate your concerns about tax dollars.

Eric J. Friday
General Counsel of Florida Carry, Inc.
September 28, 2024
Florida Officials Who “Inadvertently” Banned Guns Prior to Hurricane May Pay – The Truth About Guns

Remember, a couple weeks ago, when a small town in Florida decided to suspend the 2nd Amendment because of the hurricane? The quote above is the response after the town apologized and said they hadn’t prosecuted anyone for violating their illegal order.

It’s not a criminal prosecution, but Florida law does say the government officials responsible for an illegal ordinance can be personally fined for their illegal acts. I hope other politicians pick up on this clue.

It is a good start.

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12 thoughts on “A Good Start

  1. As a long-time Florida resident, I would like to see the state fine the sheriff and maybe a few others: not a huge amount, just enough to make the point to them and others. That’s why the law was passed here, to reduce the encroachment attempts. I hope they succeed in their suit. There’s no need for “massive retaliation”, only a pointed reminder.

    • Sorry, I disagree completely. He needs to be removed from office. Prosecuted.
      Since when has ignorance of the law been an excuse? Especially for someone that was elected for the promise of knowing and enforcing law justly. First to last. Then swearing an oath to do that very thing?
      Politicians have been getting passes for far too long.

      • Concur.
        And the fine should more than a token, large enough that it should strongly discourage anyone else thinking about committing this sort of encroachment. A few Hundred Thousand each sounds about right, as it’s not unheard of for it to cost a citizen that much when they run afoul of a statue they were completely unaware of….and these bozos don’t have the excuse of ignorance.

        • Scale it, so it’s “doable”, but also painful. I’d say half their total net worth, house equity and retirement funds (not including pensions, which would be hard to value or liquidate) included.

      • Exactly. Removed from office, prosecuted for perjury, jailed, and barred from holding any office in the future.

  2. “Inadvertence and ignorance of the law by government is no more of an excuse for violating civil rights than when a citizen ‘inadvertently’ violates the law and is arrested and prosecuted,”
    Exactly. Paid any seatbelt fines lately?
    Criminal intent or criminal negligence can/should carry the same penalties.
    Especially to people who have sworn an oath to the law and profess to being experts at enforcing it justly.
    This is what we get when the courts are allowed to get passed, “Shall not be infringed.”
    I’m confident that if 2A said; “The right of government to lord over the people regardless of outcome, shall not be infringed.”
    We know exactly how it would be interpreted. And exactly how it would be enforced.
    So, maybe we can drop the pretense of “Oops, clumsy me, ooh shucks, I’m sorry, BS?
    Examples need to be made. (The communists do it all the time for a reason, it works.)

  3. This is EXCELLENT news.

    Sue ’em hard. Fine ’em till it hurts, personally. Make them personally sorry they ever thought of doing this, and make them swear to high Heaven that they will never put themselves in this position again.

    We humans learn, first and foremost, through pain. A great many of us never learn any other way. If you want the lesson to stick, make it hurt.

    And if you are tempted to be squeamish, about inflicting painful fines on our elected officials, remember — they work for us.

  4. Nice sentiment. Never going to happen. The people who did this did so knowing full well they would NEVER actually be held accountable. That the most that might happen is the taxpayer would get soaked for any penalties or judgements assessed. Once a precedent is set where a politician is punished and held personally accountable that opens the door for ALL politicians to face that fate.
    They will NEVER let that happen.

    • It was politicians who created the law to fine other politicians at a personal level if they violated the Florida state preemption law.

  5. Don’t forget the County Attorney. He was the one who gave the lay people the bogus legal advice. Get his formal opinion via Open Records or tapes of the board meeting.

    • “Laws are made for men of ordinary understanding and should therefore be construed by the ordinary rules of common sense; and their meaning is not to be sought for in metaphysical subtleties which may make anything mean everything or nothing at pleasure” — Thomas Jefferson
      In other words, local politicians should not pretend to need lawyerly opinions on what the laws mean, or get away with hiding behind such lawyers. Valid laws have plain meanings — how else can the ordinary citizen be expected to obey the law? If it has a plain meaning, obey it.

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