by DCG
There are some questions I have about this arrest that are not answered in this report. And I’m not having any luck finding more information about this arrest on the internet.
Suffice it to say, if you are a gun owner in California you are in for a world of hurt and confusion. And you are required to soon register your “assault weapons” with the state.
According to the book, “California Gun Laws: A Guide to State and Federal Firearm Regulations (Fifth Edition),” the laws in that state are rapidly changing. From author C.D. Michel’s book:
“Updated to cover all the new laws passed during the 2017 California legislative session, the Fifth Edition of California Gun Laws: A Guide to State and Federal Firearm Regulations explores, explains, and summarizes all the new and existing federal and state laws that will affect California gun owners in 2018, including the new regulations for “assault weapon” registration. The Fifth Edition also contains brand new sections that discuss the legality of gun trusts and “bump stocks,” and it contains a number of technical revisions, case updates, and expanded explanations of the law. In this long awaited update to the most comprehensive legal guide to California’s firearm laws, renowned firearms lawyer C.D. Michel draws on over twenty years of experience to educate gun owners about California’s complex firearms laws and the potential legal “traps” into which firearm owners often unintentionally fall.
There are over 800 California state statutes regulating the manufacture, distribution, sale, possession, and use of firearms. There are thousands of overlapping federal laws regulating firearms that apply in California. And there are hundreds of administrative regulations, local ordinances, and California Department of Justice written and unwritten policies that also apply. With all of the overlapping regulations, it’s no wonder that confusion runs rampant among California gun owners, police, prosecutors, and judges. The Fifth Edition was written to dispel that confusion and equip you with the tools and updates you need to avoid mistaken arrests and prosecutions.”
KGET reports that on Thursday, May 17th, the District Attorney’s office filed a dozen felony gun charges against a member of a prominent farming family.
The California Department of Justice raided Jeffrey Scott Kirschenmann’s home in Bakersfield last month, after he tried to register an illegally modified gun online through the state’s website.
What they found in his home, led to the DA filing charges: a dozen guns, 230 rounds of ammunition and two silencers, which they seized.
Records from the Secretary of State’s office list Kirschenmann as the CEO of Scott Kirschenmann Farms, Inc. — with the same lamont mailing address as Kirschenmann Farms, Inc. — the local grower known for its potatoes used by Frito Lay to make chips.
Kirschenmann is out on $150,000 bail, accused of 12 felonies for possessing assault rifles, silencers and a multi-burst trigger activator.
We went to Kirschenmann’s home Thursday afternoon to speak with him about the case, but there was no answer.
According to court documents, the DOJ began investigating Kirschenmann when he electronically submitted photos of an illegally modified AR-15-style firearm.
Retired KCSO Commander Joe Pilkington is a court recognized firearms expert. He could not speak directly to Kirschenmann’s case but says the laws are changing so frequently, it’s often hard to keep up with the latest regulations.
“Just in the last few years, there have been lots of changes in gun laws,” he said. “Making an effort, a good faith effort to comply with these really complicated laws, should count for something.”
A new state law requires assault-style weapons be registered by the end of June.
Pilkington recommends anyone who isn’t sure about the process go through a federally licensed firearms dealer. “There is this self-registration application on the Department of Justice website, but it may be better to talk to an FFL. Someone who has a license, to talk through whatever these complications are.”
Kirschenmann is scheduled to appear in court Monday. (This article was dated May 17th and I couldn’t find any information about what happened to Mr. Kirschenmann’s scheduled court appearance.)
DCG