Judge Sentences Female Straw Purchaser to Warn Other Women About the Crime

[RamboLiberal]

In 2006, Shawna Matthews was a single, unemployed mother living in public housing when a man she knew only by a nickname offered her $700 to buy a gun for him.

Matthews took his money and walked into a South Philadelphia gun store. She chose a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson pistol, though she knew nothing about firearms.

-----

The charge carries a five-year maximum sentence, and Matthews, 30, was facing several months in prison.

But when she pleaded guilty, U.S. District Court Judge Anita B. Brody saw an opportunity. She was tired of the parade of women in her courtroom who had made straw purchases without giving thought to the idea that they were arming criminals and breaking the law.

"It got to the point where I felt I had to do more than put somebody in prison," the judge said.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20091222_A_voice_raised_against_straw_gun_buying.html

Cheers to one very wise judge!

[onehandle]

1. 'The ATF traced the weapon back to Matthews and she promptly confessed.'

This is why every gun must be registered.

[bossy22]

3. umm....that makes no sense

you gave an example of how a guns history was traced without a registration system and used that example to support why we need a registration system

that doesnt really connect......

[eqfan592]

4. Par for the course for onehandle. (nt)

[onehandle]

7. Simple.

A full-fledged database would make it that much easier.

The registered gun owner... I mean, perp could be located and picked up in minutes.

Every serial number should be attached to a social security number.

Not to mention tracking chips like we have in our cats and dogs.

Illegal guns start their lives legally somewhere.

[hack89]

9. Why do you trust the government so much? nt

[eqfan592]

11. Tracking chips? not a chance in hell.

The other things you mention are a hard sell to begin with, mainly because there's little evidence to show such measures will have any impact at all on violent crime, but tracking chips? Not just no, but hell no. There's no reason for a CCW permit holder to have to accept the fact that a government agency can and will be tracking their every movement of the day.

"The registered gun owner... I mean, perp could be located and picked up in minutes."

You think this is a "funny" or "clever" little "slip up?" You underscore the real danger behind such registration schemes and the main reason why so many people are dead set against them, and you somehow think doing so helps your cause?

I'd rather see the government devote their resources to helping put an end to poverty and improving our schools which would likely have a much greater impact on violent crime than any registration scheme.

[onehandle]

16. You know what I think is funny.

Is that gun owners post their paranoid fears about being tracked on the Internet.

If there is a government agency out there preparing to grab guns, forums like the 'Guns' forum on DU are virtual tracking centers.

I think that's hilarious.

[eqfan592]

17. If you're incapable of seeing the difference....

...between an internet posting and a tracking chip that is carried on a person all day, then THAT is what is truly hilarious. It's a difference of several orders of magnitude in fact.

EDIT: I Also think your rationale is a bit on the hilarious side as well. "You're already on the internet! Why not just take it to the next level! And the next one after that! After all, what could possibly go wrong?"

You are disturbingly eager to give up your right to privacy, onehandle. "Oh, but I don't own a gun, so it wouldn't affect me at all!" Trust me, once it starts, it would go on to something else. How about tracking chips on cars? They kill far more people and are used in plenty of crimes. The government should be able to locate every single car at any given moment at all times. After all, what have you got to hide?

[onehandle]

19. Oh, I know the difference.

Dear Federal Officer monitoring this forum.

I make no claim to own any guns and support you fully.

Love, onehandle.

[eqfan592]

20. I fully support any law enforcement official doing their duty...

..so long as they respect the rights of private citizens while doing so.

EDIT: And if you know the difference, why make the comparison in the first place? That's a bit nonsensical.

[GreenStormCloud]

33. I hear that Mike is off for the holidays. I think Cynthia is covering for him.

Remember to offer some virtual milk & cookies.

[virginia mountainman]

28. Yes, gun grabs have happened..

People who REGISTERED their weapons, where told to hand them in...

Because a court, changed a definition...





Confiscation orders...





Now, tell me again, just who is paranoid?????????

[bossy22]

12. not that simple

you obviously have no idea how an guns are traced in this country

your scenario would only be simple if the registered owner shot someone with it or there was only one "underground" transfer before the gun was used in a crime.

The truth is that many times guns will change hands illegal multiple times in their "lifetime" before being used in a crime. A registration system would become useless after that first illegal acquisition (since criminals don't/have to register their guns)

It would be a multi billion dollar waste of money

[onehandle]

18. This is about straw purchasers like the guy who bought guns for Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

Talk to the families of the 13 killed and 21 injured.

[bossy22]

22. and we already have a system like that

its called NICS and form 4473...when the a gun is found at the crime scene, the ATF is notified and automatically locates the guns origins and goes from there. Most often a trace will end when at a point when the gun is either lost or stolen

[SteveM]

36. You might want to talk to Dylan Klebold's Dad about the last conversation...

he had with his son. According to the N.Y.Times, the two discussed the then-pending CCW legislation in Colorado. They agreed that the legislation should be opposed.

Think it was for the same reason?

[DonP]

25. Great idea - would you trust Dick Cheney to run it?

Or Sarah Palin or any other GOP type to run it?

One of these days they might be in charge again.

We all screamed bloody murder when they wanted to track library book usage. Now a supposed progressive wants to track private citizens ownership and use of firearms. But it's for the greater good, right? That's what Bush said about the Patriot Act too.

No thanks but feel free to show your ID and "papers".

[taurus145]

30. Do you take medication that makes you spout such idiocy

or were you born that way?

[aikoaiko]

32. Its because of people like you that I am against such a "full fledged" registry

:argh:

[SteveM]

34. You noticed, too? (nt)

[TPaine7]

10. That would be beautiful if it were sarcasm, but I suspect that it isn't.

What is the alternative meaning:

"The ATF can readily trace crime guns back to their straw purchasers, so we need to register every gun in order to permit the ATF to trace every gun back to its straw purchaser"? Is that your point? Really?

If she were a sophisticated straw purchaser, she would simply claim the gun was stolen.

[onehandle]

21. I thought of that. You would be required to report a theft to the system immediately.

This system is coming together nicely.

[eqfan592]

24. Ahh, so now you want to criminalize the act of being a victim of a robery? That's class.

Because that's the only way your system would even "work." Otherwise, the loopholes would be too numerous (such as a person claiming they did not realize the firearm had been stolen until the police questioned them about it, which is distinctly plausible).

[onehandle]

26. Gun supremacists are always crowing about responsibility and self defense.

How would a responsible possibly ever be robbed?

A responsible gun owner is exactly that.

And if the bad guys show up, they will go into Dirty Harry mode and defend their castles.

You obviously don't have enough faith in a legal gun owner's prowess.

[TPaine7]

27. Idiocity supremacists, like you, are always erecting silly strawmen. N/T

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Caliman73]

2. I agree

For some people jail is not a deterrent because they do not commit the crime thinking that the outcome will likely be getting caught. It is like gambling, you can throw your whole paycheck into the casino because your think eventually you will win. Education is an extremely valuable thing. I think the judge made the right decision here.

Now I hope that the judge in the case of the felon who bought the gun gets a very long sentence. He needs to be off the streets for about a decade. Unfortunately I am cynical and think he will get 1 to 3 years and be out in 2 trying to get another gun illegally.

[TheWraith]

5. I don't think almost anyone commits a crime expecting to be caught...

Save for some percentage of thefts committed in desperation, because the person felt they had no other choice. But nobody who sets out to commit a crime of their own volition expects to be caught--they always think they're smart enough to get away with it. Some are--most aren't.

And yeah, he's probably going to get a minimal sentence. For all the griping about gun crime, charges for it are usually treated as something to be plea bargained away.

[eqfan592]

6. My guess that this was more a crime of ignorance...

..than one of intent and thinking they would not get caught. This is why, I believe, the judge handed down a sentence such as this, and it would seem to have been very effective. Ignorance of the law isn't an excuse, but at the same time such factors should be considered when determining a sentence.

So yeah, I tend to agree with you.

[RamboLiberal]

14. I think this is one issue that should be taught in High School

Unfortunately I think there are a lot of stupid girlfriends who will buy a gun for a boyfriend who cannot legally buy it. A few years ago at a gun show I saw a guy coaching his girlfriend away from the dealer's table on just what to buy. I had a feeling she wasn't buying it for herself.

Remember this was the way that the Columbine killers got a couple of their weapons. What ticked me off in that case was the 2 guys who sold them the TEC-9 went to jail, while the female who bought the rifle & 2 shotguns for them skated on the charges.

[Caliman73]

23. Exactly

Which is why I say that jail is not a deterrent to crime. The guy who knew buying a gun as a felon was illegal did not seem to think he would be caught, even though he had already been caught.

Instead, small time drug users and dealers get 20 years and violent felons get a slap on the wrist for possessing weapons illegally. Makes sense. :sarcasm:

[LiberalFighter]

8. They should make it a misdemeanor conditionally on her not committing another crime in 5 years

Or something like that.

[TPaine7]

13. I agree.

Alternately, they should purge her record after 5 years of good behavior.

As far as her intent was concerned, her only mistake was to take an offer too good to be true. It seems that she and some of the other women are babes in the woods as far as straw purchasing is concerned.

What we need is a public education campaign, like we have used for tobacco, drugs and drunk driving. THEN, people should be held accountable for every crime their client commits with the weapons they buy. Education and accountability should change things dramatically.

[RamboLiberal]

15. I agree with all you said

[one-eyed fat man]

31. Charlie Manson

didn't slice up anyone. He got love-starved hippie chicks to do it for him. Sometimes it's not the lure of easy money.

Pyschologist aids in Prison Escape

[AtheistCrusader]

35. Screw that.

Throw the book, and any books near that book, plus some chairs at her.

This is exactly how so many criminals actually get their firearms, and as a responsible firearm owner, I'm sick and tired of it. Maximum sentence. Readygo.