American man who travelled to Caribbean faces 12 years for bullets accidentally left in luggage

Sure. But the judge will believe his story and sentence him als low as possible. If you don't accept laws like this then think it's for his stupidness.

BTW: How many tons of ammunition to do think are getting lost each year, "forgotten to look after"?

 

This was blowing up on TikTok yesterday as people were quick to point out the hypocrisy on both sides of the tribes. The majority were mocking conservatives for their empathy for the guy caught with illegal bullets as oppose to their previous unsympathetic views on Britney Griner caught with illegal vape cartridges. There were even some mocking progressives on their "it's their country their laws views" while being totally outraged over Russia's treatment of Brittney Grinner and LGBT visitors during the Olympics.

What a totally polarized world we live in.

 

"A court still May impose a strict 12-year sentence"....... May or must ?

I feel for the dude but man come on.... You are traveling to a foreign Nation. You must be extra special certain cautious about what you may or may not have upon your belonging or person's

 

But he DID “violate the laws” and again that is why you have embassies. They deal with this stuff day in day out and I can tell you as a citizen of the globe Americans have managed to annoy a lot of people in a lot of countries by insisting that they are somehow above the law. We understand it is not all of you but unfortunately there are those…….

 

This is just another reason that I will never leave the best Nation on this planet. I don't even like leaving the county limits and don't feel comfortable until I see the sign welcoming me home to my county.

 

Awww come on - if we offered you a free ticket to a herpetologist convention with all the free Taipan petting you wanted you would be on the first plane over

 

Well, then you will never experience the freedoms that other countries offer. Freedoms you didn't know exist.

 

You mean like the freedoms that the fellow who is the subject of this story is currently enjoying?

 

This happened last year too.
https://tcweeklynews.com/us-tourist-pleads-guilty-to-possession-of-ammunition-p13536-127.htm

The max sentence for possessing ammunition without a license is 15 years, but the Supreme Court of Turks and Caicos Islands sentenced him to only 8 months in prison.
https://tcilii.org/akn/tc/judgment/tcasc/2023/81/eng@2023-09-18

 

It seems to me that the focus of the issue here should be the apparently inflexible mandatory sentencing (that I'm personally not a fan of) rather than the nature of the gun laws there. It's a bit harder to object to that from the context of the US though.

I certainly don't think he should be imprisoned at all for this, and would hope that can be the natural outcome, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be offence. A lot of people seem to be making a big thing about it being a mistake, but that while that can (and should) be mitigation, isn't an automatic defence for breaking the law. After all, a whole load of laws are fundamentally based on the concept of something done intentionally but though negligence.

I would suggest that this also demonstrates the risks of such a casual approach to firearms and ammunition, which allows such mistakes to be made and while it didn't cause any direct harm in this case, it certainly has in others. Maybe the lesson here could be for people to take much more care and attention when handling and transporting guns or ammunition.

 

On a slightly related note, speaking about transporting weapons..... It should go without saying but many people are somewhat lackadaisical.... A gun should never be left in Plainview inside of a vehicle and the vehicle should be locked at all times that the owner is not present.

Far too many guns are stolen that way.

 

as I said, negligence does not merit this sort of punishment and I would have no problem with the USA using whatever powers it wanted to crush that country if they imprison a guy for a non-crime

 

Why? Why would you want to escalate this over someone being a stupid idiot? Would you call for the same action were this someone with prescription meds

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ugs-caused-tourist-arrested-airport-Bali.html

Lols! You will probably say no until you get a look at the woman in question

https://www.afp.gov.au/

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/...ings-that-can-get-you-detained-at-the-airport

 

lets cut the crap-how can anyone justify putting someone in prison for 12 years for merely having a few bullets-no gun, no intention. I'd say that government needs to be changed or eliminated.

 

And if it turns out his intent was more nefarious? You are assuming that he was innocent - he could have been a hit man under contract with “we can supply a gun but BYO bullets” ( I should write for James Bond lols!)

it is still their government not yours - did you read the list of weird **** you can be detained for at airports?

 

you continue to demonstrate how little you understand about firearms. You just like the fact that someone who likes to Hunt is having his life ruined because you assume he is a Trump supporter and or a gun advocate. It's so obvious.