FREE BRET AND TOMMY!

July 30, 2011

As TTAG reported yesterday, rockers and convicted felons Tommy Lee and Bret Michaels are under investigation for messing around with guns at the Rowan County Police Officers Lodge range in North Carolina. The local police has called in the ATF—just in case the disgraced agency’s not too busy covering-up their own efforts to arm felons (in the Gunwalker Scandal). The local cops might take some heat for this SNAFU, but Mssrs. Michael and Lee have a pretty good legal defense: entrapment. When a team of friendly, uniformed police invite you to their range and literally put the guns in your hand, it’s unjust for the law to punish you for doing what the police literally begged you to do. The ATF wouldn’t be stupid enough to pursue this one, would they?

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11 COMMENTS

irock350 July 30, 2011 At 12:23

I can see both sides to this, but as a felon he should have known better. Lee should have to take some personal responsibility for this if they decide to prosecute him.
Res Publica Americana July 30, 2011 At 12:29

http://reason.com/blog/2011/07/29/homeless-man-dies-after-being

Robert, I thought you might be interested in a story like this – because I sure as hell know I am. Just another statistic in the thugs’ stampede across civilization. These are the people the electric chair was invented for.
- Eric S July 30, 2011 At 13:16
  
  That story is disgusting. Those five officers should be tried for extrajudicial homicide.
  - Van July 30, 2011 At 15:42
    
    The FBI has gotten involved, for what it is worth.
    
    http://gawker.com/5826207/fbi-investigating-cops-fatal-beating-of-mentally-ill-man
Ralph July 30, 2011 At 12:37

This case is a crock of bullshit and reeks of hypocracy. What did the two do again? They joined a bunch of cops for a little range time, under police supervision and control, and then returned the guns to the cops that furnished them. Is that what the law was designed to prohibit? I’m thinking no f^king way. Any judge with greater than a room temperature IQ will kick this case in a heartbeat, if it’s ever brought. Which I kinda doubt.

Michaels and Lee haven’t murdered any children, Mexicans or US border agents lately. The two of them should be investigating the ATF, and not the other way around.
- Nicholas Dixon July 30, 2011 At 15:53
  
  I’m pretty sure the concept of spirit of the law or intent of the law is only used to broaden laws.
  - Ralph July 30, 2011 At 18:08
    
    Not correct. This is a criminal law with jail time as a punishment, and it’s in derogation of common law. Intent matters.
    - MALTHUS July 31, 2011 At 09:49
      
      As usual, you have it right.
      
      Mens rea is Latin for “guilty mind”. In criminal law, it is viewed as one of the necessary elements of a crime. The standard common law test of criminal liability is usually expressed in the Latin phrase, actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea, which means “the act does not make a person guilty unless the mind be also guilty”.
      
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mens_rea
JOE MATAFOME July 30, 2011 At 23:10

I’m with Ralph on this one, because I can’t believe their wasting time and tax payer money on this silly crap.
Martin Albright August 1, 2011 At 10:35

Just curious but what was Bret Michael’s felony? Something involving drugs, I presume? Domestic violence? Didn’t Tommy Lee plead guilty to vehicular manslaughter for killing a fellow rocker while driving drunk? Oh wait, I’m thinking of Lee’s bandmate Vince Neil. My bad. So what was Lee’s felony?
D.C... March 30, 2013 At 12:17

I’m tired of celebritys and rappers gettin a free pass with this kinda shit,if I was the one I’d be spending every dime in atty. Fees. Bullshit!