{"id":4228,"date":"2005-11-20T14:55:46","date_gmt":"2005-11-20T18:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2005\/11\/20\/possession-with-intent-to-rep"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:54:23","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:54:23","slug":"possession-with-intent-to-repair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2005\/11\/20\/possession-with-intent-to-repair\/","title":{"rendered":"possession with intent to repair"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Schenectady (NY) County Judge Karen Drago<\/a> knows “farfetched” when she <\/font><\/p>\n

sees it — and defendant Frank Darmody is grateful. Judge Drago dismissed <\/font><\/p>\n

a grand jury felony charge against Darmody on one count of “attempted criminal <\/font><\/p>\n

possession of a weapon.” (Schenectady Daily Gazette<\/em><\/font><\/a>, “Charge tied to weapon <\/font><\/p>\n

dismissed,” Nov. 19, 2005, $ubscpt)<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"handcuffsN\"<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

During a traffic stop on various violations, Darmody had told an officer that <\/font><\/p>\n

there was a gun on the back seat of his vehicle, but it didn’t work and he was <\/font><\/p>\n

repairing it for a friend. Tests showed that the gun was inoperable, and thus <\/font><\/p>\n

could not be the basis for a charge of criminal possession of a weapon. However, <\/font><\/p>\n

the innovative Assistant Schenectady County District Attorney<\/font><\/a>, Martin Burke, <\/font><\/p>\n

decided to <\/font>seek an indictment based on Darmody’s intent to repair the weapon <\/font><\/p>\n

and thus <\/font>make it operable. Burke has admitted that he’s been unable to find <\/font><\/p>\n

any case law <\/font>on this issue.<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Judge Drago therefore made a little caselaw of her own, in People v Darmody<\/em><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

(Oct. 28, 2005), stating:<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

“The People’s argument that the charge should stand because <\/font><\/p>\n

he intended to repair the weapon and once operable he would <\/font><\/p>\n

be in possession of the weapon is farfetched at best.”<\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Seems to me that the grand jury should have laughed A.D.A. Burke right out <\/font><\/p>\n

of their hearing room. Of course, if Darmody had been caught in the very <\/font><\/p>\n

act of repairing the gun, Judge Drago might have reached a different conclusion. <\/font><\/p>\n

Would you? Any criminal law experts out there with an opinion?<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\"tiny You’ve got to wonder what ADA Burke might decide to do “bombfuse”<\/font><\/p>\n

to anybody in possession of the book <\/font>The Boy Mechanic<\/em><\/font><\/a> – <\/font><\/p>\n

a 1913 compilation by Popular Mechanics<\/em>, available free <\/font><\/p>\n

from Project Gutenberg, with the following cautionary <\/font><\/p>\n

disclarimer (via <\/font><\/font>RyeBlog<\/em><\/font><\/a> and Blawg Review<\/em>‘s <\/font>Anonymous <\/font>Ed<\/font><\/a>) : <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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“These projects involve items such as gunpowder, <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

acetylene, hydrogen, lead, mercury, sulfuric acid, <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

nitric acid, cadmium, potassium sulfate, potassium <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

cyanide, potassium ferrocyanide, copper sulfate, <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

and hydrochloric acid. Several involve the construction <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

of hazardous electrical devices. Please view these as <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

snapshots of culture and attitude, not as suggestions <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

for contemporary activity.”<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\ncountry stop sign–<\/font>
\nthe pink glow of sunset <\/font>
\nthrough .22 holes<\/font><\/p>\n

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midday heat<\/font><\/p>\n

the staccato staccato<\/font><\/p>\n

of a nail gun<\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
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against the rumbling
\nof the thunderhead:
\nhis toy gun<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Lee Gurga<\/font><\/a> <\/font><\/p>\n

from <\/font>Fresh Scent<\/font><\/em><\/a> (Brooks Books, 1998) <\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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hunting season<\/font><\/p>\n

i read the inscription<\/font><\/p>\n

inside my wedding band <\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
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lonely road<\/font>
\na policeman listens<\/font>
\nas i recite the alphabet<\/font><\/p>\n

hunting season<\/font>
\ni lower my shotgun<\/font>
\nto watch the pheasants<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

ed markowski<\/font><\/a> <\/font><\/p>\n

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