Wisconsin gun shop ordered to pay nearly $6 million to injured police officers

[TN-popo]

I grew up not far from that store...one of the biggest, if not the biggest, in Milwaukee.  I've bought several guns from Badger.

Very clean and professional, and I've never witnessed anything that was not on the "up-and-up."

 

That was 20 years ago, but still, those are my first-hand experiences.

 

EDIT:  Wisconsin is kinda weird politically and gun-wise.  Milwaukee and Madison (the two biggest cities, ie. political power) are very liberal.  The rest of the State is generally very different and "red."

Milwaukee's political attacks on this store started at least 15 years ago.

We all know "straw purchases" are illegal.  However, they are very hard to prove and I have a hard time holding a store responsible if they are acting in "good faith."

Going after a store just based on numbers?  Where's the proof in that?

Edited October 15, 2015 by TN-popo

[Sam1]

I have no trouble with this BUT this opens the door to suing legit shops when someone else buys an illegal gun for someone else and they honestly don't know about it... Because the antigunners aren't going to accept the facts surrounding this case.

[Just2Honor]

What happened to the "Straw Purchaser?     Did he get a slap on the wrist like Holder or probation like Dontay Mills who bought 27 guns with a false ID and then sold them to felons?   Media makes a big deal about the gun shop but says nothing about the buyer. 

[Just2Honor]

Just read he got 2 years in Federal for the buy and the shooter go time in the state pen.

[Dustbuster]

if im not mistaken,after watching a report on this,the only flaw in the 4473 the buyer filled out was where the buyer checked the this aint for me box,then crossed it out,and checked it is for me.
someone signs that form saying this info is correct and true and if im lying i go to jail. the gunshop isnt there to determine if one lied or not, all they can do is validate the input. i realize this is part of a deep pocket lawsuit, but holding the shop responsible is like suing budweiser for getting a dui.... some frivolous ass ####. if its an outlandish obvious straw purchase, one would hope the shop would err on the side of caution and deny the app and kill the sale. ive never worked at a gun shop but i hope thats how it works....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk, its either this or smoke signals! Edited October 16, 2015 by Dustbuster

[monkeylizard]

i realize this is part of a deep pocket lawsuit, but holding the shop responsible is like suing budweiser for getting a dui....

 

It's actually more like suing the bar/store that served/sold the alcohol.

 

if its an outlandish obvious straw purchase, one would hope the shop would err on the side of caution and deny the app and kill the sale. ive never worked at a gun shop but i hope thats how it works....

The point of the suit was that they not only didn't err on the side of caution, but they actively helped the buyer lie on the 4473. Nobody but the buyer and seller will ever know the total truth, but the prosecution made a good enough case to make the jury believe that is what happened.

[Dustbuster]

Let me rephrase it then. It reflects a dram shop case, if they knew the buyer was doing a straw purchase.but if the guy checked the buy for me box wrong and they said is this for you and he says yes and told him to fix it or do it over and the buyer does, then what?? Anytime I messed up filling out a 4473 they usually make you do it completely over,if not done electronically....

I hate to see the gun shop get screwed if they acted in good faith cause then every shark and con will jump on the bandwagon. This only means lawyers have another source of money while gun buyers pay more because of insurance increases thrown at the lgs....

[monkeylizard]

Let me rephrase it then. It reflects a dram shop case, if they knew the buyer was doing a straw purchase.but if the guy checked the buy for me box wrong and they said is this for you and he says yes and told him to fix it or do it over and the buyer does, then what?? Anytime I messed up filling out a 4473 they usually make you do it completely over,if not done electronically....

I hate to see the gun shop get screwed if they acted in good faith cause then every shark and con will jump on the bandwagon. This only means lawyers have another source of money while gun buyers pay more because of insurance increases thrown at the lgs....

 

I don't disagree. I'm just saying that the prosecution convinced the jury that this is NOT what happened.

[tnliberty01]

I believe BHO will begin punishing law abiding gun owners through tighter regulations on the FFLs. The holy grail of gun regulation is registration. This puts the enemies of Liberty just one step away from gun confiscations. Making a "straw" purchase is already a felony and divining buyer motive is nearly impossible unless the buyer inadvertently telegraphs their intentions to the FFL.

The biggest violator of the 'straw purchaser' Federal law wasn't this FFL. It was Eric Holder's ATF "Fast and Furious" gun running operation that resulted in guns used in the deaths of hundreds of Mexicans. Edited October 16, 2015 by tnliberty01