NRA Sheriff

8/15/2019 NRA Sheriff

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National Rifle Association

Unified Sportsmen of Florida

For Further Information Contact Marion Hammer

850) 222-9518

2016 ELECTIONS

Dear Florida Candidate:

Enclosed is a joint questionnaire from the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) and

Unified Sportsmen of Florida (USF). We urge you to complete the questionnaire and return it to

us as soon as possible. Information from questionnaires is used to provide our members with

candidate positions on firearms issues. For your convenience, it may be faxed, or scanned and

emailed BUT the original containing the candidate s signature must be mailed to us.

Completed questionnaires

w ll

be reviewed and the information you submit will be used, in part,

as the basis for our decisions regarding candidate ratings and our involvement in any primary

and/ or general election races. You may submit additional information relating to your position

on Second Amendment/firearms/self-defense issues and campaign material, along with your

completed questionnaire. In fact, we encourage you to do so. Additional comments w ll give us a

more thorough understanding of your resolve on these issues. We include any personal

commentary in our deliberations.

No endorsement or support will be provided to a candidate who fails to return the questionnaire

No exceptions

Should you have any questions concerning the candidate questionnaire, or are uncertain about any

question or any issue, PLEASE DO NOT GUESS, please contact us.

There are no trick questions

Please complete the questionnaire and return it as soon as possible. Time is of the essence.

COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES MUST BE RETURNED BY JULY 14, 2016.

FAX Questionnaires to:

EMAIL Questionnaires to:

MAIL Questionnaires to:

(850) 222-9059

[email protected]

Unified Sportsmen of Florida

P.O.

Box 1387

Tallahassee, Florida 32302-1387

CALL Marion Hammer with ANY Questions (850) 222-9518

Please use the time block of 8:00am - 12:00noon Monday - Friday for questions.

Marion P. Hammer

Executive Director

NRA Past President


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NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION UNIFIED SPORTSMEN OF FLORIDA

2 16 FLORIDA SHERIFF CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

(Please Print CLEARLY or Type)

CITY_____________ ......IP_______ PHONE..- _ __,_ ________ _

CAMPAIGN PHONE_________ CELL PHONE. __________ PARTY ___ _

OFFICE PERSONAL

SOUGHT____________ COUNTY EMAIL ______________ _

***********************************************************************************

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS are graded as a response against Second Amendment rights.

1.

Do you agree that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article

I,

Section 8 of the

Florida Constitution guarantee a fundamental

individu l

right to keep and bear arms?

a. Yes

b.--No.

2. For how many of the following reasons do you support,firearms ownership?

a. Self defense.

b. -- Competitive shooting.

c. Informal sport shooting.

d. -- Collecting.

e. Hunting.

f. -- Constitutional right.

g. All of the above.

h. -- None of the above.

3. The Florida Constitution Article I, Section 2) guarantees basic rights to

all

natural persons including

the right to defend life and protect property. Do you believe that an individual has the right to use

deadly force in defending himself or herself and family, home and property from criminals?

a. Yes.

b.--No.

4. Do you acknowledge that the Legislature makes the law, Sheriffs enforce the law, and that

in

the

oath of office, a Sheriff must swear to uphold the Constitution and the law? Further, do you

acknowledge that Sheriffs are not elected to

try

to change the law because of their personal

political views against constitutional protections and the law?

a. Yes, and I will keep my oath of office.

b.-- No.

Page 1 of 4 - NRA/USF 2016 Florida Sheriff Candidate Questionnaire


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5. The protection of personal privacy rights of individuals from violations by giant corporations is a

growing issue in Florida and across America. In some areas, businesses have been using off-duty law

enforcement officers -- in their official uniforms -- as private security and have been SEARCHING

private vehicles that are parked in business parking lots. These searches violate constitutional rights

as they are not based on probable cause involving criminal activity, but rather are based on political

bias under the guise of public safety. People are being intimidated by the uniform and coerced into

giving permission for searches.

Would you allow your Deputies to engage in such searches either on duty or in official uniform while

working off-duty as private security?

a. No, I would prohibit my Deputies from participating in such searches or behaving in that

manner, on duty or in uniform as private security.

b. Yes, as long as they can get the owner of the vehicle to give permission I think it's OK

6. Prior to 2005 --with no legislative authority --Courts and Prosecutors had usurped the individual right

of a person to protect himself or herself and family from violent predators who break into their homes

and vehicles, or attack them on the streets. By using

jury

instructions Courts were imposing a duty

to retreat on victims who had been violently attacked. Courts were favoring criminals by punishing

law-abiding victims for failing to nm before exercising self-defensive action against a violent criminal.

Self-defense is well established in common law (w origins in Roman law) and it provides that a man's

home

s

his castle and he may use all manner of force, including deadly force, to protect it and its

inhabitants from attack, without a duty to retreat.

In 2005, the Florida Legislature codified common law into statutory law and passed Castle

Doctrine/Stand Your Ground legislation to protect the rights of victims. Now, anti-gun a~itators,

who oppose self-defense, are working to destroy the freedom and rights of innocent victims m favor

of protecting violent criminals.

Do you agree that no victim of crime should be required to surrender his life, health, safety, personal

dignity, autonomy, or property to a criminal, nor should a victim be required to retreat m the face

of attack from any place he or she has a right to be?

a. Yes, I believe the Castle Doctrine/Stand your Ground is appropriate and victims have a

right to fight back without a duty to retreat.

b. No, I oppose the Castle Doctrine/Stand Your Ground and believe victims should

surrender to criminals or retreat to avoid fighting back.

7. It is a growing practice of some Sheriffs to travel, at taxpayer expense, to Tallahassee during

legislative session to lobby against Second Amendment rights and the constitutional right of self

defense of the law-abiding citizens they were elected to protect and serve.

A Do you believe it is appropriate for a Sheriff to lobby and/ or use Deputies to lobby against the

Second Amendment rights of the law-abiding citizens they are sworn to serve?

a. No, lobbying against constitutional rights is a violation of my oath of office and I would not

do it and I would not allow it.

b. Yes, I think it's appropriate.

B. Do you believe it is appropriate for a Sheriff or his Deputies/employees to officially lobby

against the constitutional rights of law-abiding firearms owners, in the name of the Sheriff Sherijf s

department or any Organizationor Association in any official law enforcement capacity?

a. No, I would not allow it. Our duty is to respect and serve our community and uphold the

law and the Constitution.

b. Yes, I would allow it.

Page 2 of 4 - NRA/USF 2016 Fl~rida Sheriff Candidate Questionnaire


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8. Even though the law prohibits it, some Sheriffs have been known to allow their sworn Deputies or

civilian employees to ignore the law and accessprotected nformationon concealed weapons license

holders and drivers license information for lobbying purposes to support the Sheriffs political views.

Do you agree with that practice?

a. No, I would not allow accessing protected information for lobbying purposes.

b.-- Yes. I believe it's OK for law enforcement to use any information they choose.

9. According to an investigation report, confidential law enforcement intelligence files containing

protected information on concealed weapons license holders and

gun

owner information has been

shared with private organizations, like the Florida Sheriffs Association, despite state and federal laws

that prohibit it. Would you follow the intent of the law and stop the disclosure of this private data

for unauthorized purposes?

a. Yes, I would stop it.

b.-- No, I would not stop it.

10. During the 2011 legislative session, legislation was introduced to protect concealed weapons/firearms

(CW) license holders against harassment and prosecution,

i

in the course of carrying concealed a

firearm was accidentally, inadvertently or unintentionally exposed to public view or

i

the imprint of

a firearm was recognized by a law enforcement officer.

The legislation was opposed by the Florida Sheriffs Association, so in good faith we agreed to

modified language to protect CW license holders

i

a firearm was

briefly

exposed -- with the caveat

that

i

the harassment continued new legislation would be pursued to provide for legal open carry

Unfortunately, our good faith was misplaced and the problems continue. Clearly, allowing license

holders to also carry openly is the ONLY way to protect citizens from law enforcement abuse.

Do you agree that persons licensed by the state to carry a concealed firearm should be legally allowed

to carry openly?

a. Yes, I agree license holders should be allowed to carry openly.

b. I think any law-abiding person who is legally allowed to own and possess a firearm has a

right to carry openly.

c. No, I personally oppose Open Carry for any reason.

11. Do you believe requiring a defendant to prove his innocence at any point in a criminal proceeding

is consistent with the principle that all defendants are innocent until proven guilty?

a. No,

i

the state charges you with a crime, the state must prove you committed the crime.

b. Yes, I think it's OK

12. Licenses to carry Concealed Weapons Firearms are only issued to adults who are 21 years of age

or older. Do you believe the constitutional right of self-defense does not end on the campus of a

college or university and that anti-gun school administrators should stop discriminating against person

licensed by the state to lawfully carry firearms for self-defense?

a. Yes, I believe colleges and universities should be stopped from banning the lawful carrying

of firearms for self-defense on campuses.

b. No, I believe colleges and universities have a right to ban whatever they choose. Please

explain:-----------------------------

se separatesheets

i

necessary

Page 3 of 4 - NRA/USF 2016 Florida Sheriff Candidate Questionnaire


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13. Are you a member of the National Rifle Association, Unified Sportsmen of Florida, or any other

firearm/ sporting organization?

a. Yes. Please list organizations and latest years of membership. _________ _

b. No.

PLEASE ANSWERALL QUESTIONS.

Questions that are not answered will be graded as a response against Second Amendment rights.

If you need additional information on any question, please contact: Ms. Marion P. Hammer, Executive

Director, Unified Sportsmen of Florida at

(850) 222-9518.

--- CANDIDATE S COMMENTS ---

(Please use additional sheets for additional comments you might have on any question or issue.)

CONFIRMATION

It is inappropriate or a campaign worker or anyoneother than the candidate to fill out answersor sign

this questionnaire.This signature s the signature of the candidate and attests that responses on this

questionnaireare the honest views of the CANDIDATE nd accurately reflect positions that will be taken

if elected.

CANDIDATE SSIGNATURE

Date

Please return questionnaire to: Unified Sportsmen of Florida

P.O. Box 1387, Tallahassee, FL 32302-1387

Page 4 of 4 - NRA/USP 2016 Fl~rida Sheriff Candidate Questionnaire

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