California college student busted on AW charges; had MySpace pics
- Thread starter Creeping Incrementalism
- Start date
- Status
unrealtrip
Member
If you are going to operate in the grey area of the law and you know it, for Christ's sake keep a low profile.
It may be perfectly legal for me to walk around with an unloaded gun holstered on my hip in the SF bay area, but all it takes is some idiot to fly off the handle about it and next thing I know I'd be face down on the pavement with a knee in my back while being read my rights as I'm getting arrested for disturbing the peace, inciting a riot and God knows what else.
Again, you may have the *right* to do something, but that doesn't mean it's smart. Think about it, are you going to tell an officer that just stopped you for speeding to f*ck off?
I know nothing about the case except for the fact that he had a bunch of pictures of guns and what not in his myspace. After the whole VT thing, students at his school saw his site, not surprisingly flipped and ratted him out.
Keep a *low profile*
It may be perfectly legal for me to walk around with an unloaded gun holstered on my hip in the SF bay area, but all it takes is some idiot to fly off the handle about it and next thing I know I'd be face down on the pavement with a knee in my back while being read my rights as I'm getting arrested for disturbing the peace, inciting a riot and God knows what else.
Again, you may have the *right* to do something, but that doesn't mean it's smart. Think about it, are you going to tell an officer that just stopped you for speeding to f*ck off?
I know nothing about the case except for the fact that he had a bunch of pictures of guns and what not in his myspace. After the whole VT thing, students at his school saw his site, not surprisingly flipped and ratted him out.
Keep a *low profile*
Update...
6 charges dropped in student gun case
By Richard Winton, Times Staff Writer
May 15, 2007
The Los Angeles County district attorney's office on Monday dropped six of the most serious assault weapons charges against the student body president at East Los Angeles College after federal officials advised that some of the firearms recently found at his Monterey Park home were legal.
Matthew Corwin, 23, was arrested April 30 on suspicion of a variety of weapons violations and possession of stolen property two weeks after the massacre at Virginia Tech, after students and faculty members sent sheriff's officials Corwin's MySpace page address. The Web page showed him dressed in fatigues and holding various weapons.
Corwin was originally charged with five counts of unlawful assault-weapon sales, four counts of unlawful possession of assault weapons, two counts of possession of a deadly weapon and one count of receiving stolen property. But prosecutors dismissed half their case Monday.
"After further investigation by the [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] they determined that the Browning machine .30-caliber was lawful. So we dismissed six counts today," said Jane Robison, the district attorney's spokeswoman.
"The remaining six counts will be prosecuted," she added.
Chuck Michel, Corwin's attorney, said his client was targeted in a post-Virginia Tech environment.
"The only thing he is guilty of is indiscretion and bad timing," Michel said.
Michel said Corwin is a student but also an injured one-time military police officer once assigned to dignitary protection who had planned to return to active duty as an Army investigator.
Michel said Corwin had expected to be reactivated as part of the Army's investigations division and be sent to Iraq as soon as this month.
Inside Corwin's home last month, detectives found a military ID, a bulletproof vest, a military-issue chemical weapons suit, a throwing knife and several military-style rifles.
But Michel, an attorney known for his 2nd Amendment work, said most of remaining gun charges involve whether a detachable magazine is legal on certain types of weapons and whether a four-bladed knife and gloves with weights amount to illegal deadly weapons.
Michel said Corwin never received any stolen property from the military.
Corwin has served as associate student body president at the college since last fall after leading the campus' 2nd Amendment Club.
A judge on Monday reduced Corwin's bail from $365,000 to $120,000. But as of Monday evening he remained in custody.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printed...4594759.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california
6 charges dropped in student gun case
By Richard Winton, Times Staff Writer
May 15, 2007
The Los Angeles County district attorney's office on Monday dropped six of the most serious assault weapons charges against the student body president at East Los Angeles College after federal officials advised that some of the firearms recently found at his Monterey Park home were legal.
Matthew Corwin, 23, was arrested April 30 on suspicion of a variety of weapons violations and possession of stolen property two weeks after the massacre at Virginia Tech, after students and faculty members sent sheriff's officials Corwin's MySpace page address. The Web page showed him dressed in fatigues and holding various weapons.
Corwin was originally charged with five counts of unlawful assault-weapon sales, four counts of unlawful possession of assault weapons, two counts of possession of a deadly weapon and one count of receiving stolen property. But prosecutors dismissed half their case Monday.
"After further investigation by the [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] they determined that the Browning machine .30-caliber was lawful. So we dismissed six counts today," said Jane Robison, the district attorney's spokeswoman.
"The remaining six counts will be prosecuted," she added.
Chuck Michel, Corwin's attorney, said his client was targeted in a post-Virginia Tech environment.
"The only thing he is guilty of is indiscretion and bad timing," Michel said.
Michel said Corwin is a student but also an injured one-time military police officer once assigned to dignitary protection who had planned to return to active duty as an Army investigator.
Michel said Corwin had expected to be reactivated as part of the Army's investigations division and be sent to Iraq as soon as this month.
Inside Corwin's home last month, detectives found a military ID, a bulletproof vest, a military-issue chemical weapons suit, a throwing knife and several military-style rifles.
But Michel, an attorney known for his 2nd Amendment work, said most of remaining gun charges involve whether a detachable magazine is legal on certain types of weapons and whether a four-bladed knife and gloves with weights amount to illegal deadly weapons.
Michel said Corwin never received any stolen property from the military.
Corwin has served as associate student body president at the college since last fall after leading the campus' 2nd Amendment Club.
A judge on Monday reduced Corwin's bail from $365,000 to $120,000. But as of Monday evening he remained in custody.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printed...4594759.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california
AmbulanceDriver
Member
^^^ Good news at least. Sounds like LA County has their own version of Mike Nifong though....
*sigh*
*sigh*
kungfuhippie
Member
He's been out since monday or tuesday. Most of the charges have been dropped, But he'd not posting for obvious reasons.
Yeah,
I read as much as I could. Seems he got out and was supposed to have a hearing around the 24th? I couldn't find anymore info...thought maybe someone that knew the fellow could keep us updated.
It's a shame his family had to put their property in hock just to get him out on bail...I hope they get the charges dropped and counter-sue for enough to pay the legal fees plus.
I read as much as I could. Seems he got out and was supposed to have a hearing around the 24th? I couldn't find anymore info...thought maybe someone that knew the fellow could keep us updated.
It's a shame his family had to put their property in hock just to get him out on bail...I hope they get the charges dropped and counter-sue for enough to pay the legal fees plus.
Whew, in between all the Paris Hilton updates I may have missed the coverage of this story. Anyone have the latest?
Aha, a little snooping: "A preliminary hearing in the case will be held on July 11 at the Alhambra Courthouse."
Aha, a little snooping: "A preliminary hearing in the case will be held on July 11 at the Alhambra Courthouse."
crazed_ss
Member
Here's the thread that's following his trial.. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=58355
His legal counsel has actually posted some updates in there.
His legal counsel has actually posted some updates in there.
748
member
I have a new mission.
Now that I am in the middle east I'll go get my picture taken holding an M249, M240, M60 (if they still have them), M203, M11, M4, two M9's, M2 (not very likely).
Then go out to ammo and get my picture taken standing beside 500 and 2000 pound bombs, a 20mm cannon and what ever they have laying around for as far as rockest and missles.
And put them all on my space.
Oh, and how can you steel your own ID card? Does it not clearly have your picture and name on it?
I just checked mine, it has a color pic, branch, full name, grade+rank and on the back it has my SSN and B-day.
I know, he stole it from his twin!
Now that I am in the middle east I'll go get my picture taken holding an M249, M240, M60 (if they still have them), M203, M11, M4, two M9's, M2 (not very likely).
Then go out to ammo and get my picture taken standing beside 500 and 2000 pound bombs, a 20mm cannon and what ever they have laying around for as far as rockest and missles.
And put them all on my space.
Oh, and how can you steel your own ID card? Does it not clearly have your picture and name on it?
I just checked mine, it has a color pic, branch, full name, grade+rank and on the back it has my SSN and B-day.
I know, he stole it from his twin!
RobMoore
Member
You have to turn it in when you are discharged. Lots of people "lose" it before they leave. I guess they call it stolen because its not yours to take with you.
kungfuhippie
Member
Won't matter, this was a perfect storm situation-he was student body pres. VT just happened, he's in California where we have terms like Off List Lowers, the school news paper alerted the authorities (IMHO partly due to the $500 illegal weapon reward
). Being in Virginia (well, once you're back home) I doubt anyone will say a thing.
ServiceSoon
Member
Good thinking. It is always interesting to see how things like this play out.
El Rojo
Member
Sorry to bring this back up, but I was doing some research for a newspaper article I was writing.
So now that all charges have been dismissed and it turns out he did absolutely nothing wrong. Are all of you who said he deserved what he got for exercising his 2nd Amendment rights feeling at all like sell outs?
It just simply amazes me that guys who are supposed to be supporting us are so quick to judge based on an article from a newspaper.
It is because of men like Matthew Corwin that we still have rights here in California. Freedom is not free.
So now that all charges have been dismissed and it turns out he did absolutely nothing wrong. Are all of you who said he deserved what he got for exercising his 2nd Amendment rights feeling at all like sell outs?
It just simply amazes me that guys who are supposed to be supporting us are so quick to judge based on an article from a newspaper.
It is because of men like Matthew Corwin that we still have rights here in California. Freedom is not free.
You see it time and time again in almost any thread about someone's use of a gun or someone's arrest. Many gun owners out there are very judgmental and willing to throw someone under the bus on technicalities quite often. I think it is mostly just people trying to reach a conclusion with little information and not considering all the possibilities of what they don't know. Also, you can always fall back on the "well, if he had just hadn't gotten out of bed that day none of that would have happened" type of thinking.
It is good that he has had the charges dropped. I hope they can find a way to recover financially.
It is good that he has had the charges dropped. I hope they can find a way to recover financially.
So, all of the charges were dismissed.
What about the restraining order? Did he get his guns back?
ETA: I have to give this guy major credit for making it through that whole thing. That is unbelievable.... and I WILL NEVER LIVE IN CA. I feel really bad for the members here in CA. What a hell hole. If I go to law school in CA, I will be out of the state within 24 hours of my graduation. Of course, I'm hoping to get into schools elsewhere.
What about the restraining order? Did he get his guns back?
ETA: I have to give this guy major credit for making it through that whole thing. That is unbelievable.... and I WILL NEVER LIVE IN CA. I feel really bad for the members here in CA. What a hell hole. If I go to law school in CA, I will be out of the state within 24 hours of my graduation. Of course, I'm hoping to get into schools elsewhere.
"We must indeed all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately" - Ben Franklin
I think the only way gun owners are going to be able to protect their rights is to fight ANY an ALL prosecutions of individuals like Matt or companies the CavArms while vehemently opposing ANY legislation that restricts firearm ownership.
We need to take a play out of the ACLU playbook and support EVERY gun owner no matter if we think they are bad person (ACLU defends rapist, murders, and child molesters all the time).
There are enough gun owners (and voters) out there that we should have no problem protecting our rights. If we could only just get along with each other.
I think the only way gun owners are going to be able to protect their rights is to fight ANY an ALL prosecutions of individuals like Matt or companies the CavArms while vehemently opposing ANY legislation that restricts firearm ownership.
We need to take a play out of the ACLU playbook and support EVERY gun owner no matter if we think they are bad person (ACLU defends rapist, murders, and child molesters all the time).
There are enough gun owners (and voters) out there that we should have no problem protecting our rights. If we could only just get along with each other.
atek3
Member
Matt signed some sort of agreement with the DA... they agreed to drop all the charges, but all the california-legal rifles were kept by the police.
bad precedent, but it was that or potentially go to jail if the case went to trial (and the jury was stupid)
atek3
bad precedent, but it was that or potentially go to jail if the case went to trial (and the jury was stupid)
atek3
CountGlockula
Member
Judging other states' misfortunes is irrational, because we're all in the same fight for our rights. Last time I recall, we were part of the UNITED States of America.
Hell hole huh? Feast your eyes on this:
Nuff said.
Hell hole huh? Feast your eyes on this:
Nuff said.
TexasRifleman
Moderator Emeritus
If you are willing to sacrifice most of your rights to live in a place with nice scenery then by all means do so.
Don't bitch if you end up in jail for that red blanket killing a protected species of turd beetle though......
Yeah, that's wonderful I guess.
I'd snap a pic from my balcony on the Atlantic ocean right now to counter, but it's dark out, and frankly it's irrelevant.
I stick by my previous statement. You couldn't pay me to live in CA. If you enjoy the scenery, that's wonderful. You can keep it.
No offense meant.
Last edited:
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
I guess all's well that ends well, and this thread's ending scenery will be a fitting finis...
- Status
