“Ms. Barber has been a dedicated employee of the Navajo Nation Washington Office since 2014. She has pled not guilty to the misdemeanor charge today. Both Ms. Barber and the Navajo Nation will continue to fully cooperate with the Capitol Police and the District of Columbia to ensure this unfortunate incident comes to a quick and just conclusion.” – Navajo Nation attorney in Lobbyist Arrested With Loaded Gun at Cannon House Office Building [via nbcwashington.com]
Misdemeanor?
Very often it’s a misdemeanor, even in anti-2nd states. But it’s treated a lot more seriously than most misdemeanors. If you go into court without a lawyer you’re nuts.
Probably not the first time she’s carried in there.
Unfortunately, just got caught.
Mr. Zimmerman should have quoted more of the original story. She was not “carrying”. Gun was in a “suitcase”, according to story. She was charged with having an “unregistered gun”. If that was the only charge, then it’s pure Washington nonsense. We all know unregistered guns are much more dangerous than registered guns. Just another example of govt overreach and overcriminalization.
According to the news reports she claims she was carrying the bag for a Navajo Nation Police Officer and had no idea the firearm was in the suitcase. She’s plead not guilty. Sounds like she was just left holding the bag, by a cop. Now it’s went viral, because… guns.
The dreaded and deadly suitcase carry, talk about EDC overload! No wonder she checked her suitcase.
Just another case of DC being DC.
“She told investigators she was carrying a gun belonging to a senior police officer with the Navajo Nation Police Department, according to court records. She told police she was not notified there was a firearm in the suitcase she was checking.”
It appears we have two contradicting statements here…?
Not necessarily.
Lobbyists don’t have a contractual twenty four hour period to get get their story straight with the police union lawyer. Give her a break.
(eyeroll) but unlike police, lobbyists have the absolute right to remain silent FOREVER, not just for 24 hours.
Hey, wait a minute. Don’t we ALL have that “right to remain silent” for as long as we want or need to do it?
Don’t cops lose their job if they don’t talk? That would make it not an absolute right.
Good ol’ Washington D.C., still taking guns away from the Indians.
Ralph nails it again!!
Thank you, Ralph!
Glad I had finished my morning coffee…..
And Ralph wins the Intertubez for the day!
As my kids would say, “ROASTED!”
Nicely done Ralph. I needed a good honest Laugh Out Loud today.
Largest mass shooting of civilians in American history occurred when the U.S. government was confiscating firearms from Indians. Between 150 and 300 killed.
Wounded Knee.
I notice the signage at SSA offices say that it is illegal to knowlingly carry weapons. If you say that you forgot or didnt know if it is someone elses bag/coat/etc., the .gov would have to prove with concrete evidence otherwise. It is hard to prove intent unless theres some document of you saying “im gonna carry here”. Not sure about the building she was in though.
In most cases, “knowingly” is akin to “deliberately,” and can be inferred from facts and circumstances.
So, for an extreme example, if she knew she had a gun and was pushed into the office against her will, then she would not be legally culpable.
Likewise, if she voluntarily entered the office but was tricked into carrying a bag without knowledge of (or being responsible for knowledge of) the contents, her actions would not be deliberate.
The facts and circumstances in this case are everything. We don’t know what they are, and she may skate, but she’s responsible for carrying that gun in a gun-free zone.
Which is yet another reason why those hideous gun-free zones have to go.
Yep. If courts took the ‘intentionally’ so liberally there would be no way to prosecute anyone. “Oh, sorry, I forgot that was carrying my desert eagle on my hip today!”
The government taking the firearms way from Native Americans… Hmmm Somethings never change…
Dang, if there’s anywhere one should be allowed to carry, it’s the Cannon Building. Hey Congress: if carry isn’t allowed there, please re-name it. A few suggestions: “The Shall Be Infringed Building”, “The Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others Building”, “The No Cannon Building”.
Y’know, there’s a Gunn Building at Stanford University. I wonder if it bans cannons.
Stop picking on her and let her go. She is a low risk and she is also Native American. The optics of arresting a Native American with a gun are about as bad a cops shooting an African American teenager. There is too much to lose by prosecuting this and little to gain. For the police and the sake of their budgets, hope they just say “sorry” and hope it fades from the news before those that hold purse strings in DC start cutting budgets or writing laws.
It is appalling that DC has some of the most egregiously unconstitutional gun laws in the country. This is the capital of ‘Murica dammit! There should be gun stores on every block, open carry, and open season on lobbyists. Sorta kidding about that last one – NRA ILA guy might get shot.