Flash wrote: ↑August 5th, 2018, 11:55 am
Sure. In Arizona you're okay as long as you didn't knowingly sell a gun to a prohibited purchaser. So, a self proclaimed expert (there are plenty in the gun world) thinks the documentation is okay, so he's in the clear and he didn't KNOWINGLY sell the gun to a prohibited possessor in spite of the fact that he's an incompetent expert (there's no law against that).
Ahhh, but, could validating a buyers credentials, and thereby judging him to be a valid/legal purchaser/possessor, yet, eventually finding out he wasn't, make a seller liable for his/her wrong judgement? Especially after the illegal possessor commits a crime with the purchase?
I can foresee a prosecutor's cross-examination of a seller being, "
Well, if you did not know all along that the buyer was NOT PROHIBITED from purchase, WHY did you demand documentation?" Obviously you had concerns for the buyers legality, or you wouldn't have asked for documentation?
In other words, by merely taking on the legal responsibility to judge a buyer's legal possession status, it could put the seller in jeopardy of being responsible for his/her judgement.
Where as, if NO DOCUMENTATION JUDGEMENT is made, the seller can simply fall back with the defense that under Arizona LEGAL STATE LEGISLATION FIREARM PRIVATE SALE PROTECTION LAW, of, he/she seller was UNAWARE the buyer was a prohibited possessor, period.
Which would force the burden of proof of an illegal sale to a prohibited possessor, AKA, that the seller DID HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE BUYERS ILLEGAL STATUS, to fall upon the prosecution.
All this legal action, could be avoided, imo, if the seller chose NOT to become a document validating expert, and just make the sale within state law requirement, ONLY!
And thereby, remain lawfully protected for having no prior knowledge of buyer's legal, or illegal, possession status.
Hence, as long as there is no proof of seller's prior knowledge to be found concerning the buyer's possession status, which would be the absolute case in selling to a complete stranger, no conviction for an illegal sale to a prohibited possessor could be possible.
YES?......................... No?
Strictly from a cut and dry legal position, of course.
Some people think just because they reviewed a buyer's paper work, they fall under some sort of fantasy contrived legal protection they have created in their own little mind!
Bottom line, gentlemen and ladies, no amount of paper work can protect you from a sale
with prior knowledge of the buyers illegal status. And
NO LACK of paper work should cause a court action against any seller in Az. for an illegal sale to a prohibited possessor
without prior knowledge of buyer's status.