New Jersey actor sentenced to 10 years for using a prop gun
The coming dark age: An actor now faces ten years in prison because he used a air gun that shoots harmless plastic pellets while shooting a movie in New Jersey.
Read the article. As the writer properly concludes, “no film production company of any size should ever do business in New Jersey.” In fact, when it comes to guns I would avoid this fascist state in any way possible.
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The coming dark age: An actor now faces ten years in prison because he used a air gun that shoots harmless plastic pellets while shooting a movie in New Jersey.
Read the article. As the writer properly concludes, “no film production company of any size should ever do business in New Jersey.” In fact, when it comes to guns I would avoid this fascist state in any way possible.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
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You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
A minor quibble: your headline states that the actor was sentenced to 10 years, but it would be more accurate to say he faces up to 10 years. He spent 4 days in jail as his friends tried to raise bail, and he turned down a plea bargain that would have had him serve a year, but he hasn’t been sentenced yet, and it appears he hasn’t gone to trial.
It’s horrible that it’s gone on this far, especially considering he’s a former convict and was apparently trying to get his life back together by working an honest job.
It gets even worse. It is illegal to transport or use a slingshot in the republic of New Jersey. Apparently, this was a mistake in the original law but the Democrat legislature is not interested in correcting this nonsense.
He was offered a plea deal and refused it, so, yes, he will go to trial and there is a chance he can be convicted and serve up to 10 years. This is the same choice for anyone accused of a crime, take the plea deal or gamble on a jury trial where a long sentence is possible. Let’s hope that he gets 12 jurors who are sympathetic to his plight. There seems to be some confusion about the “weapon” that he was wielding when he was arrested. The media uses the term pellet gun interchangeably with Airsoft gun. In NJ a pellet gun or BB gun is a weapon regulated under the firearm laws. While pellet and BB guns are seldom fatal, the projectiles can penetrate skin and muscle and do a fair amount of damage. These guns are often used to reduce the pigeon and squirrel populations (not by me, however). An Airsoft gun is not regulated and the projectiles are unable to penetrate skin. They also have bright orange muzzles and would never fool anyone into thinking they are anything but a toy. It would really be nice if the media could report on anything correctly.
My thoughts: he should have taken the plea deal. Now we will watch for a trial of a New Jersey ex-con, who should have known about the screwy NJ gun laws, waving a regulated firearm, not on a closed set or closed off street, but in public. I am anxiously awaiting for the outcome of this case.
I would guess that for the filming they took the orange muzzle off the Airsoft gun (as my son stupidly did to his Airsoft gunwhen he was about 12, because it “looked cooler that way”). Perhaps that’s part of the reason why they went after him so hard.
I hope some attorney who wants to make a name for him/herself takes up this case pro bono, publicizes the heck out of it, and educates the people of New Jersey on their ridiculous laws so that they raise a huge ruckus with their lawmakers.
All Governor Krispy Kreme has to do, is signal to the prosecutor that he will pardon him if convicted. Where’s the Big Guy stand on all this? Or is he too busy making deals with Trump to be the AG?
As for “plea deals,” the man has a right to Jury trial. It’s a feature of our system, not a bug.
I hope you never have to face “copping a plea.” This is a perfect example of prosecutorial discretion gone bad.
Unfortunately, the prosecutor is immune from removal for selective prosecution.
Unless there are some facts in evidence we don’t have, sounds like a purely political prosecution in nature.
Highly recommend:
http://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/costs-consequences-gun-control