BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — Florida prosecutors just secured a first-of-its-kind conviction in the case of a man who refused to give up his guns.
He was required to under the state’s 2018 ‘red flag laws’ that passed after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
The shooting ultimately became a catalyst for the creation of ‘risk protection orders’ that allow police to confiscate a person’s weapons – if a judge rules that person is a threat to themselves or others.
Jerron Smith, 33, was placed under one of those orders – and The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports he was arrested at his home in Deerfield Beach for refusing to surrender his two rifles to Broward County deputies.
One was a .22 caliber, and the other was an AR-15. According to Fox News, Smith’s Glock handgun was seized after his original arrest – for attempted murder.
In March 2018, Smith was accused of shooting at a car during a fight over a borrowed cell phone. No one was hurt – but under the new law, Smith was reportedly considered a high risk for future gun crime – and ordered to hand his guns over.
The Washington Post reports Smith’s attorney tried to argue his client didn’t understand the new law.
Now, Jerron Smith faces up to five years in prison for the ‘red flag’ violation. He’s set to stand trial for the attempted murder charge.
Florida is one of 15 states with ‘red flag’ laws.
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