{"id":124507,"date":"2020-02-12T18:34:16","date_gmt":"2020-02-12T23:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=124507"},"modified":"2020-02-12T18:34:16","modified_gmt":"2023-09-06T14:14:33","slug":"florida-county-seized-412-guns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/florida-county-seized-412-guns\/","title":{"rendered":"A Single Florida County Seized 412 Guns Last Year Under the State\u2019s Red Flag Law"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Broward County officials used Florida’s red flag law 255 times last year. (Photo: Wikmedia Commons)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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A new report from a gun control group has found that law enforcement officials in Broward County, Florida, seized 412 guns last year by filing 255 petitions under the state\u2019s extreme risk protection order law (aka, \u201cred flag\u201d law).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, the organization behind the report<\/a>, believes its findings provide evidence that similar red flag laws should be implemented by all 50 states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExtreme risk laws are a proven way for law enforcement to\ntake action, without resorting to the criminal justice system, before gun\ntragedies like mass shootings and suicide occur,\u201d the report states. \u201cThese\nfindings provide compelling evidence that we hope will help support more states\nin passing\u2014and effectively implementing\u2014their own extreme risk laws.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Florida, only law enforcement officials can request an ex\nparte order from a judge to seize an individual\u2019s firearms. If a judge grants\nthe request, the individual (or \u201crespondent\u201d) must surrender his or her\nfirearms without a hearing or trial. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the property has been confiscated, the court schedules a hearing at which the petitioner must present \u201cclear and convincing\u201d evidence that the respondent poses a serious risk to himself or others. The judge then decides whether to dismiss the red flag order or grant a \u201cfinal order,\u201d which can prohibit the respondent from possessing firearms for up to one year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEE ALSO: Florida Referendum to Ban Semi-Autos Fails with 19% of Needed Signatures<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Broward County, judges granted ex parte orders in all 255 cases between March 9, 2018, and March 9, 2019. In other words, in no instance did a judge refuse to grant an order to seize an individual\u2019s firearms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judges granted final orders in 87 percent of the cases, and\nonly dismissed or denied 11 percent. Giffords researchers could not determine\nthe final outcome in two percent of the cases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few other stats to note: <\/p>\n\n\n\n