See, in the Golden State the mere possession of a banned assault rifle – which can differ from a perfectly legal one due to something as insignificant as a removable magazine – is evidence of moral turpitude. That’s what sfgate.com reports the court recently ruled in the case of Solomon Gabriel who was charged with growing happy tabacky. A crime for which he’d been convicted before, along with an assault weapon charge.
Morality enters the picture because when a defendant takes the stand, state law allows prosecutors to offer evidence that the defendant was previously convicted of crimes involving “moral turpitude,” which is legalese for conduct that’s inherently depraved. The court said both of Gabriel’s past crimes fit that description.
California has outlawed assault weapons because they’re used for crimes, not hunting or recreation, the court said, and Gabriel should have known that the gun he was convicted of possessing was “partiuclarly (sic) dangerous to human life.” As for cultivating marijuana, the court noted that it’s a felony punishable by a state prison term, in contrast to possessing pot, which carries a maximum $100 fine for small amounts and up to six months in jail for a larger supply.
Yep, those assault weapons are particularly dangerous to human life. As everyone knows, a 7.62 round from an illegal AK will kill someone much faster (and deader!) than one from a gun with a fixed magazine. Or a .308 from a bolt gun.
Gabriel’s attorney says he’ll ask California’s Supreme Court to review the decision. Good luck with that. In the mean time, this might be a good time for you to look in the mirror (and your gun safe) for evidence of your own depravity and clean up your act.