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The guns are still destroyed.

  • Though gun collector has spent a decade negotiating for the return of 400-plus guns seized by the LAPD and is still actively trying to recover them, an officer goes to court behind the collector's back and, with the court's permission, has 300-plus guns (valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars) destroyed. Ninth Circuit: Permanently destroying someone's property without providing any notice violates due process, and that is so obvious that the responsible officer doesn't get qualified immunity. The collector can sue the officer, the LAPD, and the city too.


In 2004, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) seized appellant Wayne William Wright's extensive firearms collection—more than 400 guns, rifles, and shotguns—by executing a valid search warrant.


 
It's important to note that this investigation began as an undercover operation where the police set up Wright to make an illegal gun sale. That questionable sale led to Wright losing over 350 guns. There's a lesson in there.
 
So, qualified immunity wasn't actually an issue here. The gun collector claimed that the city lied to the court and his attorney about the status of his firearms, and in the middle of court ordered negotiations regarding their return, went to another judge and lied to get an order of destruction.

The city argued (and won) that the "anti-SLAPP" statute made lies made in a court proceeding and any acts related to them were immune from civil liability. They also got to hand the plaintiff a $9000 attorney bill. All of that was upheld in this finding.

IDGAF what the law says, anyone who argues that the very fact that a lie was made in court makes it OK should be taken outside and punched in the throat.

So, the guy is out tens of thousands of dollars in property, has no legal recourse (the court did helpfully point out that he had other recourse and the fact that he didn't exercise it only because of the cities lies which are at issue here doesn't matter- facepalm), and got stuck with the lying city's legal bill. But hey, lucky him he didn't have to pay for the city's appeal "in the interest of justice."
 
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