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GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ATTORNEY GENERAL Office Order No. 2008-19 SUBJECT: Amnesty For Possession of Unregistered But Otherwise Registerable Firearms. Pursuant to Reorganization Order No. 50 of June 26, 1953, as amended, All Assistant Attorneys General and Managers in the Public Safety Division are hereby advised and directed to comply with the following policy effective immediately: 1. For the next six (6) months there will be an amnesty period during which the charge of possession of an unregistered firearm will not be made against a person based on his or her possession of a firearm while he or she is properly transporting it directly from his or her home to the MPD Firearms Registration Section to begin the process of registering the firearm. The period of lawful transportation shall coincide with the Firearms Registration Section’s hours of operation, which are between the hours of 7:00 AM through 3:00 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and 7:00 AM through 5:00 PM on Wednesdays. Nor will a person be charged with possession of an unregistered firearm while properly transporting the firearm back from the Firearms Registration Section directly to his or her home. For transport to be proper, the firearm must be unloaded and securely wrapped in a package, with the package carried in plain view. 2. During this amnesty period and prior to beginning the registration process, a person will not be prosecuted for possession of an unregistered firearm in his or her home when: (1) that person is eligible to register the firearm; and (2) the firearm itself is capable of being registered because it is not a “sawed-off shotgun,” “short-barreled rifle,” or “machine gun” as those terms are defined in D.C. Code § 7-2502.01(10), (15), or (17). 3. The amnesty also extends to possession of ammunition that is otherwise legal and which is of the same caliber as the registerable firearm described in paragraphs 1 and 2 above. 4. This amnesty extends to the charges of possession of an unregistered firearm and ammunition only, and not to any other crime committed by a person while possessing the firearm. This Order supersedes all other previous orders to the extent of any inconsistency.
Peter J. Nickles Dated this __ - day of July, 2008 |
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