Firearms Divestiture Procedures Sheriff Craig Webre, Lafourche - PDF document

Firearms Divestiture Procedures Sheriff Craig Webre, Lafourche Parish 2015 Domestic Relations Seminar LOUISIANA JUDICIAL COLLEGE August 13-14, 2015 • New Orleans, Louisiana

8/11/2015 Firearm Divestiture I mple me nting a Pra c tic a l Pro c e ss She riff Cra ig We b re L ie ute na nt Va le rie Ma rtine z Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office Firearm Divestiture While laws e stablish the pr ohibition of fir e ar m posse ssion, the law doe s not spe c ify a fir e ar m dive stitur e pr oc e ss in L ouisiana. Firearm Divestiture T his pr e se nts the oppor tunity for c r e ativity and innovation to de ve lop a safe , e ffe c tive , and pr ac tic al me c hanism in whic h to dive st. 1

8/11/2015 Presentation Overview • Re vie w F ire a rm Dive stiture L e g isla tio n • I mple me nta tio n o f L e g isla tio n • De ta ile d Vie w o f L .P.S.O. Pro c e ss Firearm Possession Prohibitions F E DE RAL • 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8) – Qua lifying Pro te c tive Orde rs • E xc e ptio n fo r military and law e nfo rc e me nt • 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9) – Do me stic Ab use Co nvic tio ns • NO e xc e ptio n fo r military and law e nfo rc e me nt Firearm Possession Prohibitions L OUISIANA • R.S. 46:2136.3 (CIVIL ) – Qua lifying Pro te c tive Orde rs • R.S. 14:95.10 (CRIMINAL ) – Do me stic Ab use Co nvic tio ns 2

8/11/2015 Firearm Possession Prohibitions • R.S. 46:2136.3 (CIVIL ) – Qualifying Pr ote c tive Or de r • De fe nda nt po se s c re dib le thre a t to physic a l sa fe ty • I nvo lve s spe c ific re la tio nship to vic tim(s) • De fe nda nt a llo we d to pa rtic ipa te in c o ntra dic to ry he a ring • Pro hib itio n is ide ntifie d in Pro te c tive Orde r • De fe nda nt must b e la wfully se rve d Firearm Possession Prohibitions • R.S. 46:2136.3 (CIVIL ) – Pe r iod of Pr ohibition: • Dura tio n o f the Pro te c tive Orde r • E nfor c e me nt: – Conte mpt of Cour t (R .S. 46:2137) • Up to 6 mo nths in ja il a nd/ o r $500 fine – Violation of a Pr ote c tive Or de r (R .S. 14:79) R.S. 14:79 Penalties • F ine s and/ or Jail • E nhanc e able up to a F e lony • Batte r y is a fac tor – 3r d violation involving batte r y within 5 ye ar s: • 1 ye ar min. / 5 ye ar s max. 3

8/11/2015 Firearm Possession Prohibitions • R.S. 14:95.10 (CRIMINAL ) – R e quir e d E le me nts: • R.S. 14:35.3 c o nvic tio n • De fe nda nt re pre se nte d b y c o unse l o r kno wing ly wa ive d rig ht • Jury tria l o r de fe nda nt kno wing ly wa ive d rig ht – Pe r iod of Pr ohibition: • 10 ye a rs upo n c o mple tio n o f se nte nc e , pro b a tio n, pa ro le , o r suspe nsio n o f se nte nc e . Firearm Possession Prohibitions • R.S. 14:95.10* (CRIMINAL ) – Pe nalty : • I nc a rc e ra tio n: min. 1 ye a r / ma x. 5 ye a rs • F ine : min. $500 / ma x. $1,000 * NOT E : Also pr ohibits c onc e ale d we apons. Implementation of Laws 4

8/11/2015 Groundwork for Divestiture 1. I de ntify all de fe ndants subje c t to laws 2. I nfo rm tho se de fe ndants o f the laws 3. Offe r assistanc e with dive stiture 4. E nfo rc e the laws 5. Mo nito r pro hibite d po sse sso rs Collaboration • Co urts / Judg e s • Distric t Atto rne y’ s Offic e • Cle rk o f Co urt • L a w E nfo rc e me nt Ag e nc ie s Courts / Judges • F o r R .S. 14:95.10 , e nsure de fe nda nt is: – re pre se nte d by c o unse l o r waive s right – trie d by a jury o r waive s right (if applic able ) • E nsure pro te c tive o rde rs me e ts sta tuto ry re q uire me nts • Sug g e stio ns: – I nfo rm de fe ndants abo ut pro hibitio n laws – E nfo rc e c o mplianc e with pro hibitio n laws – I de ntify so urc e (s) o f dive stiture assistanc e 5

8/11/2015 District Attorney’s Office • Pro se c ute do me stic a b use c ha rg e s • E nsure c o nvic tio ns a re fo r R.S. 14:35.3 - Dome stic Abuse Batte r y • Give no tic e to la w e nfo rc e me nt o f R .S. 14:35.3 c o nvic tio ns – U tilize a Do me stic Vio le nc e Pro se c uto r • Assist Judg e s to e nsure c o mplia nc e with R.S. 14:95.10 (right to c o unse l & jury trial) Clerk of Court • Pe r R.S. 46:2135, must e xpe ditio usly se nd to L a w E nfo rc e me nt (by e nd o f ne xt busine ss day) – Any Pro te c tive Orde r issue d / mo difie d / e xte nde d / dismisse d – Any Sta y-a wa y Orde r issue d a s a b o nd re stric tio n • Pro vide 24-ho ur a c c e ss to c o nvic tio n minute s Law Enforcement Agencies Ove r vie w • F a c ilita te dive stiture • I de ntify a nd “fla g ” pro hib ite d po sse sso rs • Mo nito r / I nve stig a te • E nfo rc e me nt 6

8/11/2015 L.P.S.O. Process L.P.S.O. Process • ST E P 1: Cr e ate ne w c ase for e ac h de fe ndant – Qua lifying pro te c tive o rde rs • via Cle rk o f Co urt – Do me stic Ab use c o nvic tio ns • via Distric t Atto rne y – Sc a n do c ume nta tio n into e le c tro nic c a se file Law Enforcement Data System 7

8/11/2015 Case Overview Document Scans Conviction Minutes Protective Order L.P.S.O. Process  ST E P 1: Cr e ate a ne w c ase for e ac h de fe ndant • ST E P 2: Se r ve notic e of laws to e ac h de fe ndant – No tific a tio n/ Ac kno wle dg e me nt F o rm – Assist with fire a rms dive stiture 8

8/11/2015 Firearms Acknowledgement Form 1. I nfo rms de fe nda nt o f sta te a nd fe de ra l la ws 2. Asks de fe nda nt whe the r he / she po sse sse s fire a rms 3. L ists c o nse q ue nc e s fo r no n-c o mplia nc e a nd fo r fa ilure to re turn fo rm Do You Possess Firearms? YES • Offe r to assist with thir d-par ty tr ansfe r – E nsure third party c an lawfully po sse ss – Outline dutie s/ re spo nsibilitie s o f third pa rty • I ndic ate c o nse que nc e s fo r allo wing de fe ndant to take po sse ssio n *PRI MARY BE NE F I T :* E nsuring physic al se paratio n o f the de fe ndant fro m the fire arm. Do You Possess Firearms? YES • L aw E nfor c e me nt Safe ke e ping/ Holding – Pro te c t inte g rity o f the we a po n • S to rage c harge o r damage waive r – F a c ilita te le g a l sa le / tra nsfe r to third pa rty – Ac c e pt irre vo c a b le do na tio n – Ha ndle a b a ndo nme nt o f we a po n • R.S . 15:41 (pro pe rty se ize d in c riminal pro c e e ding) • R.S . 33:2333 (sto le n, se ize d, o r re linquishe d pro pe rty) • Re purpo se / S e ll 9

8/11/2015 Do You Possess Firearms? YES • F ac ilitate a le gal sale / tr a nsfe r to thir d par ty • Ac c e pt ir r e voc able donation Do You Possess Firearms? NO • I f de fe nda nt DOE S NOT po sse ss fire a rms: – Case is c lo se d but mo nito re d L.P.S.O. Process  ST E P 1: Cr e ate a ne w c ase for e ac h de fe ndant  ST E P 2: Se r ve notic e of laws to e ac h de fe ndant • ST E P 3: T r ac k/ Monitor pr ohibite d posse ssor s – Simplify the pro c e ss fo r o ffic e rs in the fie ld – Re mo ve the “g ue ss-wo rk” 10

8/11/2015 Tracking Prohibited Possessors • Color -c ode d ale r ts: – R E D: Dome stic Viole nc e Convic tions – GRE E N: Qualifying Pr ote c tive Or de r s – BL UE : F e de r ally Pr ohibite d Posse ssor s Tracking Prohibited Possessors Tracking Prohibited Possessors 11

8/11/2015 Tracking Prohibited Possessors Tracking Prohibited Possessors Tracking Prohibited Possessors 12

8/11/2015 Monitoring Prohibited Possessors Cur r e nt numbe r s of de fe ndants with ale r ts: • ST AT E (D.V. Convic tions) : 300 • ST AT E (Pr s) : 138 ote c tive Or de r • F E DE RAL : 454 Legal Enhancements • Re q uire fire a rm po sse ssio n de c la ra tio n – De c la re in o pe n c o urt • Se lf-inc rimina tio n • E sta b lish e ffe c tive da te / time o f pro hib itio n – De c la re to la w e nfo rc e me nt • Re q uire pro o f o f fire a rm dive stiture Legal Enhancements • R.S. 14:95.10 – I nte rruptio n o f 10-ye a r pre sc riptive pe rio d • Ma nda te le g a l re po sito ry • Re le a se o f we a po ns – Judic ia l a utho riza tio n 13

8/11/2015 Our Goals • Mo ve fo r sta te wide c o nsiste nc y • Offe r tra ining in “b e st pra c tic e s” to la w e nfo rc e me nt a g e nc ie s 14