Mandatory sentencing for firearm infractions already exist, but when plea deals are offered it's typically the gun charge that gets dropped first. The prosecutor will then later crow about his office's conviction rate when the next election rolls around.
At the federal level there was the head-scratching sentence of probation for Jalita Johnson, the straw purchaser of a Glock pistol and drum magazine used to kill Omaha police officer Kerrie Orozco by Marcus Wheeler, a convicted felon and known gang member, when Officer Orozco attempted to serve a warrant for his arrest. Johnson was sentenced for lying on the 4473 but was not prosecuted for the actual illegal transfer of the firearm to Wheeler. She was made to "suffer" one year of probation, 40 hours of community service and 180 days of home confinement for her actions that were eligible for 5 years of federal confinement and a $250,000 fine. The illegal transfer to a known felon should have tacked another 10 years of federal confinement. ?The tragic result in this case is a stark reminder of how firearm purchasing laws are designed to protect the public,? said U.S. Attorney John Horn. Mr. Horn, these laws aren't worth the paper they're printed on if the executive and judicial branches don't use them to lock up these miscreants.