ACLU Defends Gun Owners Rights ???

[Zappa]

ACLU Files Suit Over Gun Rights

Wow, I bet nobody ever expected this.
Is the pendulum swinging back the other way?

A New Orleans man is suing the city and its district attorney for refusing to give back a gun that police seized when he was arrested on drug and firearms charges.

The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday filed the federal suit on behalf of Errol Houston Jr., who was arrested last year following a traffic stop.

The suit says the district attorney's office declined to prosecute Houston but has refused to return his .40 caliber firearm.

Houston claims Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro has instituted a policy that firearms seized during arrests will not be returned to their owners.

The ACLU says that policy violates Houston's constitutional rights.

Cannizzaro says his office decides on a "case by case basis'' whether to return confiscated guns.

Why does this sound like an April Fools joke?

 

[TomH]

Looks like New Orleans has really improved after the Katrina incidents [/sarcasm]

 

[theGringo]

It's a trick.

 

[Rob]

Texas a few years back.

"Unusual Allies in a Legal Battle Over Texas Drivers’ Gun Rights"
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/us/05guns.html?_r=1

Just like many of the fools at the .gov level, the ACLU chooses to either ignore or protect the 2A at whim. But you know in their heart of hearts, they think guns are icky.

 

[pipmaster1971]

Don't forget that most of the cases taken on by the ACLU are done at the state level. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that the LA ACLU chapter would be pro-2A.

 

[joehaus]

This about sums them up on 2A http://www.aclu.org/crimjustice/gen/35904res20020304.html

Although I remember hearing about state chapters that disagree with national.

 

[mikem317]

The state-level chapters tend to have differing attitudes towards 2A. I think the winds are starting to blow in our direction though.

They're a wishy-washy organization. I agree with them on some issues, and then there's other issues like affirmative action that I just can't reconcile with "liberty". They'd be an infinitely more effective organization if they fully supported 2A.

 

[LoginName]

Very little info to go on at the link, but the case involved seems to be more of a 4th amendment rights issue and very little to do with the 2nd amendment.

In the past the ACLU had defended a student who was prohibited from wearing an NRA shirt to school (they won IIRC) based on 1st amendment rights.

Two completely different cases, but neither should be taken to assume that the ACLU supports the 2nd amendment and/or the right of the individual (outside of any militia connection), to keep and bear arms.

FWIW... they also sided with the NRA in opposition to the McCain Feingold law.

 

[dixidawg]

Check this out, from right after the Heller decision. REad some of the ACLU posters comments:

http://northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=39704&highlight=heller+aclu