Colorado Democrat Quickly Backs off Gun Bill

[hack89]

Source: AP

A Colorado Democrat who wanted to prevent individuals suspected of posing a threat from possessing a gun quickly backed off that plan after details of the proposal became public late Thursday.

That plan would have allowed psychologists, nurses and counselors to enter a person into the national background check system, prohibiting that individual from legally possessing a firearm for a year.

Dave Kopel, a law professor and research director at the Independence Institute, a libertarian think tank in Denver, said McCann's earlier bill raised concerns about due process rights.

He said the bill could be "a really good idea" if it was significantly revised to include "a fair hearing first with the burden of proof on the government."

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/colo-weighs-gun-ban-people-pose-threat-18884831

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I support such laws as long as they respect due process. A fair hearing and placing the burden of proof on the government is a minimum standard for all civil liberties.

[denverbill]

1. It's unfortunate this law was not in effect last year.

Thirty-eight days before the attack on the Century Aurora 16 movie theater, the psychiatrist treating suspect James Holmes told a police officer that her patient had confessed homicidal thoughts and was a danger to the public, according to newly unsealed court documents in the murder case against Holmes.

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22955988/judge-unseals-warrants-affidavit-aurora-theater-shooting-case

[Deep13]

2. That's too much.

One, something like that requires a judicial decision, not merely that of a private person who may be more worried about his or her liability insurance rates than fairness. Second, it is unfair to expect medical professionals to accept the responsibility of acting like judges. Their job is to take care of the patient, period.