Witaschek case

[motorhead0922]

I have not seen this case discussed here. I am absolutely shocked that this sort of thing can happen in America. 30, count 'em 30, armed officers enter the home of Mark Witaschek to find... spent ammunition. They terrorize the teens (one of which is in the shower) and the adults by aiming weapons at their heads, handcuffing everyone.

Originally Posted by Emily Miller

Mark Witaschek, a successful financial adviser with no criminal record, is facing two years in prison for possession of unregistered ammunition after D.C. police raided his house looking for guns. Mr. Witaschek has never had a firearm in the city, but he is being prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The trial starts on Nov. 4.

The police banged on the front door of Mr. Witaschek’s Georgetown home at 8:20 p.m. on July 7, 2012, to execute a search warrant for “firearms and ammunition … gun cleaning equipment, holsters, bullet holders and ammunition receipts.”

What country is the District of Columbia in?

Emily Miller's story is here:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...egis/?page=all

[speedrrracer]

Originally Posted by FTFA

Exactly one month earlier, Mr. Witaschek allowed members of the “Gun Recovery Unit” access to search without a warrant because he thought he had nothing to hide.

Here was his fatal mistake. Allowing law enforcement into your home without a warrant is a non-recoverable error.

[62coltnavy]

This is one of those "wrath of a woman scorned" (ex-wife) cases. I am still trying to figure out how you "register" ammunition, or how you are supposed to "unregister" that ammo when you use it up at the range. This is a law that demands change, and Emily might just be the one to achieve it. Outrageous is an understatement.

I read the article--it seems it is illegal in DC to possess any ammunition for a firearm that is not registered in DC. Totally bizarre. Why should it matter, and how does such a law reduce crime? Further, the article states that the defendant has his firearms stored at his sister's house in Virginia--and they were apparently seized by a criminal warrant? On what grounds? Prosecutorial misconduct seems an appropriate inference.