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World Down Syndrome Day

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Crazy gun possession law!

GeneralCrazy gun possession law!
At about 3:30 p.m. on Monday, April 16, Armead Logan Thurton, a resident of Baker’s Ranch, discovered that his trailer, which is used as a warehouse, was burglarized.
  
Stolen from the trailer were a black double-barrel Winchester shotgun valued at $400, and a red and black Briggs and Stratton lawn mower, valued at $743, that was borrowed from Arthur Saldivar.
  
On Tuesday, April 17, a police officer conducted a search at #4439 Peter Seco Street. During that search a 410-gauge double-barrel Winchester shotgun and 1 (16) gauge single-barrel, wooden butt shotgun with (2) 16 gauge live cartridges were found.
  
The guns were found beside a cement house underneath some pieces of board.
  
Later that same day, another police officer conducted another search at the same residence, where a red and black Briggs and Stratton lawn mower, matching the description of the one that was stolen, was found.
  
Thurton was called down to the Queen Street Police Station to view the items, and positively identified the Winchester double-barrel shotgun and the lawnmower as the items that were stolen from him.
  
The police then arrested Kent Lynch, 19; Errol Lynch, 23; Woodrow Reyes, 27; Leroy Gomez, 25; Virginia Alvarez, 21; and Yvette Lynch, 52.
  
They were all charged on Wednesday with two counts of handling stolen goods for (1) black 410-gauge Winchester double-barrel shotgun and the lawnmower; two charges of “kept firearm without a gun license” for the 410-gauge Winchester double-barrel shotgun and (1) black 16-gauge, wooden butt single-barrel Stevens brand shotgun; and one charge of “kept ammunition without a gun license” for the two 16-gauge live cartridges.
  
Errol Lynch, a fisherman; Gomez, a mechanic; Reyes, and Alvarez, a student, all pleaded not guilty when they appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer, while Kent Lynch, in what can only be described as a shocker to all present in court, pleaded guilty to all the charges.
  
Kent Lynch, a carver, after hearing and agreeing to the facts of the case, started his statement by saying “I would like to say that no one forced me to plead guilty.”
  
That statement alone immediately raised suspicions with the magistrate, who told Lynch that “that statement alone convinced [her] that someone forced [him] to plead guilty.”
  
But Lynch continued with his statement and after hearing it, the magistrate asked him if he wanted to say anything before she passed sentence.
  
Lynch then told Frazer that while on his way to work, he bought the guns and mower for $1,500 from an unknown person, on the Maskall Road. He admitted that he bought the guns because he “felt insecure”, and also because his neighbor and friend, Edward Lord, was killed and he felt that they would come after him.
  
Senior Magistrate Frazer accepted Lynch’s guilty plea, and then sentenced him to 13 years and 6 months in prison. He got 18 months for handling stolen goods for the shotgun and another 18 months for the lawn mower, and these two sentences are to run concurrently; six years for the “kept firearm” for the Winchester double-barrel shotgun, and another six years for “kept firearm” for the 16 gauge single-barrel shotgun, to be served consecutively; and yet another six years for the “kept ammunition,” which is to run concurrently with any of the first six-year sentences, for a total of 13 years and six months.
  
Errol Lynch, the brother of Kent Lynch, along with their friends, Gomez, Reyes and Alvarez, were all remanded to prison until May 17, 2012.
  
In the afternoon, Yvette Lynch, mother of Kent and Errol Lynch who lived at the house, was also brought before the court to answer to the same charges of handling stolen goods, “kept firearm without a gun license” and “kept ammunition without a gun license.”
  
Lynch was still in her uniform; she is a teacher at Calvary Temple Primary School. She pleaded not guilty to all the charges, but, like the others, was remanded to prison until May 17, 2012.
  
Then this afternoon Thursday, Allison Major, 49, a resident of Kelly Street, was taken to court and charged with the same charges. He told the magistrate that he did not live at the house, but merely visited Yvette Lynch from time to time.
  
He heard that he was wanted and turned himself in to police. He was also remanded to prison until the same adjournment date, May 17.

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