Man convicted of child porn gets gun rights back

[jpak]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015558376_apwasheriffchildporn.html

TACOMA, Wash. — A retired Piercy County Sheriff convicted of possessing child pornography in 2004 has regained his right to possess a gun.

The Tacoma News Tribune reports that Pierce County Superior Court Judge Bryan Chushcoff okayed former Sheriff Mark French's petition to vacate his child porn conviction from his record and regain his gun rights.

The 62-year-old French pleaded guilty in 2004 to possessing child pornography. He had retired in 2000 after a 30-year career in law enforcement.

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[benEzra]

1. That's probably because the man in question is a retired career LEO.

I doubt a retired career factory worker in the same situation would have gotten his rights back in the same situation, though I may be wrong.

California and Massachusetts exempt retired LEO's from numerous gun laws that apply to the peons, by statute. It appears that some other states extend similar privileges by different means.

[ileus]

2. The naked gun 33.5

[gejohnston]

3. My understanding is that if a conviction is vacated, it does not exist

basically like a pardon. He would also get his voting rights back in the South. The gun rights is not the issue, the issue is why the conviction was vacated in the first place. The article focused on a minor side effect and ignored the important question.

[krispos42]

4. The article was short, and doesn't say if it was a misdemenor or a felony.

I'm assuming that since his right was stripped, it was a felony.


Okay, so he's no longer a felon. Whoppee. He can vote, now, too. And hold elected office.