It is also supported by the Due Process Institute, which describes itself as a “nonprofit, bipartisan, public interest organization” that seeks “procedural fairness in the criminal justice system.” In a brief filed, it asserts that this case falls under the so-called rule of lenity, which favors less harsh interpretations of ambiguous criminal statutes. Codrea group and other bump stock advocates have made this argument as well. In contrast to Chevron deference, the Due Process Institute notes that the law isn’t settled on “the proper interpretation of a statute with both criminal and civil implications,” according to them. However, the rule of lenity should prevail, it says. [More]
It should.
If it doesn't, we'll have a real problem on our hands, especially when ATF decides to transmute semiautos into machineguns.
Are there any anonymous, ignorant comment dolts out there still bloviating insultingly about "a stupid piece of plastic not being a hill worth dying on"?
Two things that occasionally get mentioned associated with putting semi-autos into the same category as full-autos.
ReplyDeleteIf getting caught with an illegal semi and getting put in the same jail for the same amount of time as someone caught with a full, why not have a full in the first place?
Semi-auto fire control groups are way more complicated in general than full-auto units. Open bolt, fixed firing pin, full auto guns are ridiculously simple and easy to make compared to an AR15. That's one reason why the Thompson was replaced by the M3 and the Sten.
https://herohog.com/GunBuilds/Practical_Scrap_Metal_Small_Arms_Vol.03-The_DIY_STEN_Gun.pdf
BATFE might be on their way to making their enforcement problem an order of magnitude bugger.
But then you know what Napoleon supposedly said about interrupting your enemy when he is making a mistake.
“In that case,” said Napoleon, “let us wait twenty minutes; when the enemy is making a false movement we must take good care not to interrupt him.”
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/07/06/never-interfere/