District Attorney George Brauchler is calling out Democrats on their “red flag” bill, which exposes lawmakers for wanting gun control more than actually protecting Coloradans from mentally ill or violent people.
Instead of focusing on taking away guns, Brauchler says lawmakers should be improving mental health services.
In an interview with Complete Colorado, Brauchler listed as a prime example the need to extend the 72-hour mental health hold so investigators have enough time to determine if a person is a danger to themselves or others.
“There’s no requirement that the person get any sort of court ordered treatment,” said Brauchler. “And that’s what makes the bill feel more and more like it’s about firearms, and not about mental illness.”
A red flag law would allow the thought police to seize guns from people who they believe might be dangerous. Sort of like repossessing someone’s car because a neighbor saw them drinking at a bar once then driving home. And cars can be a dangerous weapon too, right?
Brauchler supported a similar “red flag” bill during the last legislature. But the new version Democrats are pursing this year, without Republicans in the Senate majority to stop them, strips even basic due process protections that were previously included, he said.
There’s also ambiguous language that directs police to notify unspecified “third parties” of an impending petition.
Just exactly who is that, Brauchler wants to know. Is it someone’s employer, their family, school, neighbors, convenience store clerks?
Brauchler makes a strong argument against “red flag” laws, you can read the entire article here.
Too bad Brauchler didn’t win the attorney general race against Phil Weiser. We might be having a more informed conversation about this topic, instead of filing lawsuits against the president like Weiser, who thinks it’s his job to litigate campaign promises.