via ssgmarkcr
I wanted to send this to you because its a case of pushing the envelope so far, it would be comical if it didn't have such a negative effect on an entire family. During the course of a full up raid on the home of Mark Witaschek.
"After entering the house, the police immediately went upstairs, pointed guns at the heads of Mr. Witaschek and his girlfriend, Bonnie Harris, and demanded they surrender, facedown and be handcuffed."
"His 16-year-old son was in the shower when the police arrived. “They used a battering ram to bash down the bathroom door and pull him out of the shower, naked,” said his father. “The police put all the children together in a room, while we were handcuffed upstairs. I could hear them crying, not knowing what was happening.”
After searching the home for two hours, this is what they found,
"The police found no guns in the house, but did write on the warrant that four items were discovered: “One live round of 12-gauge shotgun ammunition,” which was an inoperable shell that misfired during a hunt years earlier. Mr. Witaschek had kept it as a souvenir. “One handgun holster” was found, which is perfectly legal.
“One expended round of .270 caliber ammunition,” which was a spent brass casing. The police uncovered “one box of Knight bullets for reloading.” These are actually not for reloading, but are used in antique-replica, single-shot, muzzle-loading rifles."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/23/miller-dc-businessman-faces-two-years-jail-unregis/?page=1
Fast forward six months and,
"In a surprising twist at the end of a long trial, a District of Columbia judge found Mark Witaschek guilty of “attempted possession of unlawful ammunition” for antique replica muzzleloader bullets.
Judge Robert Morin sentenced Mr. Witaschek to time served, a $50 fine and required him to enroll with the Metropolitan Police Department’s firearm offenders’ registry within 48 hours."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/26/miller-exclusive-shock-verdict-mark-witaschek-guil/
What makes this all the more strange is that apparently he was convicted of possessing ammunition for a firearm which doesn't even have to be registered in DC, namely a black powder muzzleloading rifle. His attorney says they will be appealing the conviction, though I'm still trying to figure out how it even made it to trial.
What immediately came to mind was Alice's Resteraunt Massacre and the 27 8x10 color glossy photos and the judge with the seeing eye dog.
Debate Magazine
