Pueblo Police call out legislative law in multiple releases to the public - KRDO
PUEBLO, Colo (KRDO) -- On March 1st, 2022 the Misdemeanor Reform Act became a Colorado law. Since then, the Pueblo Police Department have released four press releases naming an aspect of the law and its impact on the community.
The Misdemeanor Reform Act "reforms the sentencing provisions related to misdemeanors and petty offenses" recently took effect in Colorado. Before, if someone who had already been convicted of a prior crime faced a new, specific charge, they would face the additional charge of Possession of Weapons by Previous Offenders (POWPO). Effective March 1, SB21-271 shortened the list of crimes that would qualify a felon for the charge of POWPO.
In a restraining order violation arrest, they say "despite Reno being a convicted felon, he could not be charged with Possession of a Weapon by a Previous Offender (felony) due to a new law that took effect March 1, 2022. His previous felony convictions were not VRA (Victim Rights Act) crimes."
"Two specifically that they missed the boat on is drug offenders, specifically those charged with distribution and the motor vehicle theft. Drugs and guns are involved in motor vehicle theft more often than they are not," Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller said.
In their most recent release on Friday, they detail an arrest 41-year-old Douglas Gibson. He was arrested for aggravated motor vehicle theft, restraining order violation, unlawful possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine). However he was not arrested for being a felon in possession of a weapon. In this case, an assault rifle.
The release says, "Douglas is a convicted felon for drug related charges. Because his previous felony conviction is not a VRA (Victim’s Rights Act) crime, with recent changes in legislation, he could not be charged with
POWPO (Possession of A Weapon by Previous Offender)."
"My officers are repeatedly arresting the same violent offender with weapons over and over and over again, at some point they are either going to shoot my officers or my officers are going to have to shoot them," Noeller said. "When that person is in jail, when that person is in prison that's not going to happen."
source: https://krdo.com/news/top-stories/2022/04/02/pueblo-police-call-out-legislative-law-in-multiple-releases-to-the-public/
Your content is great. However, if any of the content contained herein violates any rights of yours, including those of copyright, please contact us immediately by e-mail at media[@]kissrpr.com.