Attention Florida lawmen: You will be arrested for defending the Second Amendment.

[85vette]

I'm following this to see where it takes us in regards to the second ammendment. I was very surprised to hear about this last Tuesday. Sheriff Finch used to be a Deputy in same department I worked at.
I have always understood that the duly elected sheriff of a county is the highest law enforcement official within the county. He has law enforcement powers that exceed that of any other state or federal official. I understand that to mean that his discretion in an arrest(or un-arrest)should not be challenged by anyone, governor, FBI, Attorney General, or POTUS. I believe this could very well set a precedent for case law in the future in regards to interpretation of the second ammendment. I don't believe the Governor will prevail in this case and I wonder if he's not doing this to actually strengthen the second ammendment. If it turns out that Sheriff Finch is exonerated of any wrong doing then the sheriff's all across the nation will hold the power of the second ammendment in their hands, not the Senate, House, or Whitehouse.
This could be big. He has been charged with official misconduct, not(in my opinion)for using his discretion in the decision to not arrest the subject with the concealed weapon, but in his handling of the records and paperwork associated with the arrest. If it stands that the arrest records have no administrative value due to the Sheriff's decision not to arrest, then the state should have no choice but to reinstate him.
On the down side to that outcome, that would mean that every Tom, Dick, and Harry will be packin heat without a permit and, frankly, some folks have no business with a gun.

[Cor66Vette]

Originally Posted by 85vette

... that would mean that every Tom, Dick, and Harry will be packin heat without a permit and, frankly, some folks have no business with a gun.

There is an Instant Background data base that exists, albeit needing improvement, intended to keep firearms away from those adjudicated to be not able to lawfully possess firearms- whether for criminal or mental reasons. Administering of programs has always been problematic, and this system is no different. The welfare program in this country, for example, ran amok for many years because it was too expensive to "correct"- aka, administer. In the case of the firearms database, psychiatric and medical records aren't input into the system. The Instant Background Check system only works as well as the information put into it. And as an aside, when felons are uncovered by the system, they're not even prosecuted. It's a cycle that continues: like taxing the working class when government prudent spending policy is absent.

[Rich Z]

Seems to me that there is more behind this than we are being told.

[85vette]

Originally Posted by Rich Z

Seems to me that there is more behind this than we are being told.

I agree Rich. Do you suppose it's just a coincidence that the county is "Liberty"?

[Rich Z]

Well, how did this information get to Gov Scott, and why in the world would he have stuck his head into the lion's mouth over it? He had to know this was going to blow up on him. So where's his motive for getting involved?

Either something else is going on involving some bad blood, and/or someone just set him up for a black eye with the gun owning constituency.

[85vette]

This paragraph(taken from above)leads me to believe this may have been scripted.

"Furthermore, imagine that Sheriff Finch had released a man arrested and jailed for having openly preached Christianity in a public place. Would Governor Scott have been so hasty to remove Finch from office? Why would the rights protected by the Second Amendment be subordinate to those guaranteed by the First Amendment?"

They have installed a replacement sheriff for only one month. I assume that means they will have a hearing and a decision within that time frame. Wish I was a fly on the wall sometimes.

[Rich Z]

Originally Posted by 85vette

I agree Rich. Do you suppose it's just a coincidence that the county is "Liberty"?

Why couldn't it have been Calhoun county?

[85vette]

Originally Posted by Rich Z

Why couldn't it have been Calhoun county?

The Governor didn't want to have to be driven so far, what with the economy and all..... besides, you've got friends there, right?

[85vette]

Nick Finch found not guilty of both charges.