Connect with us

Nevada

Nevada Supreme Court upholds state ban on ghost guns, reversing lower-court decision

Published

on

Nevada Supreme Court upholds state ban on ghost guns, reversing lower-court decision


The Nevada Supreme Court upheld a 2021 state ban on ghost guns Thursday, overturning a lower-court decision that declared the law unconstitutional for being vague. Ghost guns are guns without serial numbers and are usually assembled by the user.

Justice Lidia S. Stiglich authored the opinion of the court. Stiglich ruled that the law’s definition of “unfinished frame or receiver” was not unconstitutionally vague. Stiglich noted that the court can consult ordinary dictionaries, specialized dictionaries and industry association publications to understand words with technical or special meanings. After consulting several dictionaries and trade definitions, Stiglich concluded that the term unfinished frame or receiver and the words in its definition are “readily ascertainable through their ordinary usage and understandings common to the heavily regulated subject of firearms.”

Additionally, Stiglich found that the statute does not pose a risk of arbitrary enforcement by the government. Stiglich found that the statute is a general intent statute, meaning that a person has a guilty state of mind to be convicted of a criminal offense if they intend to perform a specific act that led to the crime. Stiglich noted that to convict someone under this law:

[T]he State must show that the defendant willfully sold, offered to sell, transferred, possessed, purchased, transported, or received an unfinished frame or receiver and that the defendant knew that the object at issue had the objective characteristics of being intended to be turned into a firearm.

Because the law requires a general intent, Stiglich found no risk of arbitrary enforcement.

Advertisement

In response to the court’s decision, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford stated:

The ban on ‘ghost guns’ is one of the most impactful pieces of legislation that we have seen come through Carson City. [The] decision … is a win for public safety and creates sensible, practical measures to protect Nevadans from violent crime.

In 2021, the Nevada legislature passed AB 286. The law banned transactions involving incomplete gun frames and receivers and unserialized weapons, with exceptions for antique guns and collectors’ items. That year, a US District Court also upheld the law, ruling that it did not violate the Second Amendment.

This is not the only recent litigation over government regulation of ghost guns. In November 2023, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) lacked authority to adopt a final rule aimed at limiting ghost guns. The Biden administration appealed this decision to the US Supreme Court. 





Source link

Advertisement

Nevada

Nye County Sheriff urges caution after deadly month on rural Nevada roads

Published

on

Nye County Sheriff urges caution after deadly month on rural Nevada roads


A string of deadly crashes in and around Pahrump has prompted Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill to push for more safety measures along dark, sidewalk-free roads.

“The worst penalty is death, if you consider that,” McGill said.

The recent deaths include a single-vehicle rollover on State Route 160 during the morning hours of the last Wednesday in January that killed one person and injured another.

Then, into February, two pedestrians were killed in less than three days.

Advertisement
Pahrump Roads.jpg

The first was a 7 p.m. crash on Quarter Horse Avenue. Investigators believe a 2006 Jeep Liberty was driving on the street when it hit a pedestrian, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

A few days later, this last Saturday, state troopers responded to a crash just after sundown at Charleston Park Avenue. A sedan hit a pedestrian, who was also pronounced dead at the scene.

Pahrump Roads.jpg

Nevada State Police investigators are still investigating both pedestrian cases before more details are released.

McGill said the recent crashes were enough to spur action.

“When the third one came out, I was sitting at home and watching TV. I looked at my wife and I said, ‘We got to do something about this,’” McGill said.

McGill is responding with a reflective vest giveaway, pointing to limited infrastructure as a possible factor. He noted a lack of street lights off State Route 160 and no sidewalks inside the community.

“The only light that you have is the ambient light from houses and cars so it is really dark,” McGill said.

Advertisement
Pahrump Roads.jpg

John Treanor of AAA Nevada said poor visibility can quickly turn dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians.

“It is very easy to be confronted with a situation that you cannot see coming because the visibility might be bad,” Treanor said.

Treanor encouraged pedestrians to carry lights and drivers to be prepared if they end up outside their vehicles in dark conditions.

“Having lights on you. Even carrying a flashlight allows something where a driver can see it,” Treanor said. “If you are a driver, make sure you have the right stuff in your car, in case you do get in a situation where you are on the side of the road and now you are in dark. Make sure you have a kit with some reflectors, some lights. Anything the trunk of your car in case you need it.”

Pahrump Roads.jpg

McGill said vigilance is important even in daylight.

“Any time of the day, you have got to be vigilant. You have to keep aware of your surroundings if you are a walker or on a bicycle or if you are the driver,” he said.

Authorities also urged caution as more people may pull off roads in rocky areas along the route toward Death Valley National Park during springtime blooms, increasing the need for drivers and pedestrians to stay alert.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Nevada

Mansion on the Nevada Side of Lake Tahoe Swiftly Sells for $46 Million

Published

on

Mansion on the Nevada Side of Lake Tahoe Swiftly Sells for  Million


A waterfront mansion on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe just sold for $46 million, less than three weeks after hitting the market. 

The speedy deal marks a departure from the typical U.S. market.

Nationwide, homes took a median 78 days to land a buyer in January, five more than the same time last year and the 22nd straight month of homes taking longer to sell on a year-over-year basis, according to data from Realtor.com. 

Mansion Global Boutique: Book Lovers Rejoice: 8 Must-Haves To Build Your Perfect Reading Nook

Advertisement

The lavish log cabin-like residence, in Incline Village, listed on Jan. 24 for $47.5 million. It sold 20 days later, on Feb. 13, listing records show. 

The more than 7,000-square-foot residence was built in 2014, and has double-height living spaces, walls of windows, beamed ceilings, fireplaces, and plenty of rustic exposed stone and wood, listing images show. 

Advertisement – Scroll to Continue

There’s also a gym, a wet bar, a spa, a wine room, an office, two separate game rooms, seven bedrooms and dramatic Lake Tahoe views. Outside, there’s a private sandy beach, multiple decks, a heated driveway and two exterior fireplaces, according to listing information. 

MORE: Visited by Kings and Larger Than Manhattan, Giant Scottish Estate Asks £67 Million

Advertisement

The seller and the buyer are both limited liability companies, according to property records. Both parties were represented by Jeff Brown of Tahoe Mountain Realty, who declined to comment on the deal. 

The median home price in Incline Village was $1.595 million as of December, a fall of 3.3% from a year earlier, according to data from Realtor.com. Listings, meanwhile, spent an average of 130 days on the market. 



Source link

Continue Reading

Nevada

Green Valley edges Liberty in Class 5A softball — PHOTOS

Published

on

Green Valley edges Liberty in Class 5A softball — PHOTOS