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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
10/06/2024 09:45 AM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?SPick=20150&chamber=H&cosponId=20311
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House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: May 31, 2016 04:04 PM
From: Representative Vanessa Lowery Brown
To: All House members
Subject: Legislation: Form and Type of Compensation for Temporarily Confiscated Firearms Used in Justifiable Homicides
 
In the very near future, I will be introducing legislation that would grant Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies the discretion to determine the type and form of compensation for a legally owned firearm that has been temporarily confiscated pending the disposition of an investigation or criminal court proceeding involving a gun-related homicide.

In 2013, George Zimmerman was acquitted of the widely publicized shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, a case which sparked national controversy and brought the issue of “use of force” to the political forefront. Sadly, in recent weeks, Mr. Zimmerman has once again made national headlines by deciding to publicly auction off the firearm that he used in the Trayvon Martin shooting, where it is reported that he profited $250,000 from the public sale of the gun.

Specifically, what my bill proposes to do is that during instances when an alleged perpetrator of a homicide is never charged with an offense or is acquitted, the law enforcement agency that has temporarily confiscated the lawfully owned firearm would possess the discretion to do one of two things following the disposition of the criminal case or investigation:
  • Return the firearm to its owner; or
  • Compensate the owner for the fair market value of the firearm.
While I fully recognize that human decency cannot be legislated, it can however be strongly encouraged. Regardless of what your position was or is on the Trayvon Martin case, I think we all can agree on the fact that Mr. Zimmerman’s decision to make a public spectacle of auctioning off the gun used in the death of another person, a teenager at that, is an act that is beyond depraved and reprehensible.

Therefore, the sole intent of this measure is to restrict instances where an individual who is involved in a highly publicized gun-related homicide investigation, but was never convicted based on self-defense or other exculpatory factors, is able to publicly monetize the death of another human-being.

I ask that you please join me in co-sponsoring this commonsense and 2nd Amendment-neutral legislation.

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this legislation, please contact Mr. Brandon J. Flood at 717-772-6955 or bflood@pahouse.net.