BELLEVUE, WA – When U.S. District Judge James L. Robart sentenced Kenan Dejuan Brown to prison for illegal firearm possession, he told the repeat offender—who said he “felt safe” having a gun—that, “In my experience a gun is an invitation to get into trouble,” according to a Justice Department news release.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said the judge’s remark, perhaps unintentionally, casts aspersions on tens of millions of law-abiding gun owners who own firearms for personal protection and the defense of their families and other loved ones.
“We take no issue at all with Judge Robart’s dispatch of a recidivist criminal to prison,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “but his opinion about gun ownership amounts to a slap in the face for armed private citizens who have successfully defended themselves against criminal attacks because they had a gun. The judge’s comment also seems to minimize the courageous acts of armed citizens who have intervened and stopped mass shootings, saving countless lives in the process.
“Sorry, your honor,” Gottlieb added, “but for millions of honest citizens, having a gun in an emergency has gotten them out of trouble and prevented tragedies.”
Brown is the 42-year-old Seattle man who will spend time in prison, to include drug and alcohol treatment, and be on three years of supervised release following his incarceration. He was arrested in October 2023 after crashing his car into a tree. When Seattle police arrived, they found the convicted felon in possession of a loaded pistol, with an extended magazine, which was made illegal the previous year by the Washington Legislature.
“The Brown case could just as easily be used as a text book example of the failure of gun control laws, especially the ones in Washington state,” Gottlieb observed. “Brown’s conviction underscores our historically-proven position that restrictive gun laws, like those supported by Democrat Gov. Bob Ferguson, do not prevent criminals from getting guns. Brown had previous convictions for illegal gun possession, and here he was again, armed with a gun that Ferguson and others said their restrictive laws would prevent him from having.
“Judge Robart’s remark was a misstatement,” Gottlieb said, “but it pales in comparison to the repeated falsehoods from anti-gun Democrats whose focus on restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners, while allowing repeat offenders to roam our streets, has eroded public safety for decades.”