Bristol DA uses ’dangerousness’ law to target gun suspects

[ronbok]

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1088261

NEW BEDFORD - Dane Barros looks down at the floor as he listens to a prosecutor call him a "danger to the community."

Barros, barely 21, is not a violent criminal, and in almost any other district, he could be freed on bail to await trial after police found more than 100 grams of cocaine and a loaded handgun in his apartment.

But here, where gun violence plagues hardscrabble cities in southeastern Massachusetts, Bristol District Attorney Samuel Sutter is taking no chances. For every felony gun case, he turns to a law generally usually aimed at spouse abusers and sex offenders which allows judges to deem suspects too dangerous to be released on bail.
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Thoughts on this issue anyone?

 

[Tiktock]

Cocaine addict caught with a loaded gun? I don't care if he gets bail or not.....

"is not a violent criminal.."....YET.

 

[Twigg]

100 grams of cocaine and a loaded handgun in his apartment
<snip>
Bristol District Attorney Samuel Sutter is taking no chances

"'Bout time I say. We're always bitchin' whenever we read about one of these punks getting released with a low bail and re-offending in hours or days for release.

Throw away the key.

 

[hikerlt]

did he have a proper license to own the weapon, and was it registered ? No mention of that in the article...it seems to allude to that , but doesn't come right out and say it

my first impression...arrested with 100 grams of cocaine and a handgun....no bail sounds fine to me. Maybe the next steps will be if found guilty the perp will actually do some hard time rather than a slap on the wrist and let go....

 

[Carguy]

and if he was legal and properly licensed to have the pistol...he ain't gonna be no more!!

 

[Snapshot]

did he have a proper license to own the weapon, and was it registered ?

+1 Not enough info to make a decision. I personally think people should be able to slowly poison themselves to death if they want. Alcohol is legal and IMNSHO it causes more problems then most drugs. The whole "war on drugs" thing is a losing battle. I say legalize it all and then tax it.

At which point this guy would be doing nothing wrong if he had a license for the gun.

 

[EddieCoyle]

Cocaine addict ...

With 100 grams in his possession, it is unlikely that he is simply an addict.

 

[8thring]

cocaine

Cocaine addict caught with a loaded gun? I don't care if he gets bail or not.....

"is not a violent criminal.."....YET.

"things go better with coke!"

 

[pbearperry]

For years people I have known kept telling me how cool coke is.I finally broke down and tried it at a party I went to last weekend.I have to admit it was pretty cool,however I still like Pepsi best.Just my opinion.

 

[Riverside]

"Dangerous individuals were walking around with illegal firearms _ very often to facilitate their drug-dealing _ and those individuals are being removed from the public," Sutter said. "The message that is going out to the criminal community is, ’If you are arrested with an illegal firearm, your freedom is done’."

We need this kind of thinking in Suffolk County. The message to criminals caught with illegal firearms in Suffolk County is "you'll be home in time for dinner."
Best Regards.

 

[greycar]

What is Safe Homes?

The message from Menino is:
"If a firearm is found, neither the youth nor anyone else in the home will be charged with the illegal possession of a firearm in the home."
http://www.bpdnews.com/Safe Homes Brochure.pdf