Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Seeks another granted order by Johnson
Wallace Elby Buck, 62, returned to Superior Court in attempt to get his gun rights back Tuesday, Dec. 31.
- A local man seeking to reclaim his firearm rights has returned to Superior Court after a background check flagged past convictions.
Wallace Elby Buck, 62, appeared in Lincoln County Superior Court on Tuesday, Dec. 31, filing for an amendment to the firearm restoration order granted on August 6.
Buck explained in a letter to the court that he attempted to retrieve a family heirloom rifle from a pawn shop on August 9, after settling the required payment.
Superior Court Judge Barkdull informed Buck in court that because he was the prosecuting attorney during his flagged convictions, he felt conflicted and would refer the case back to Judge Johnson, who oversaw the initial request in August.
However, the Washington State Patrol (WSP) background check flagged two prior misdemeanor domestic violence convictions, prompting the shop to deny the release of the rifle and leaving Buck seeking further legal recourse.
Nardia Eddy of the WSP Firearms Background Division confirmed the flagged charges, stemming from April 19, 2010, and February 21, 2006 incidents.
"What is ridiculous about this is my rights were restored on August 6," said Buck. "It is like being in a compressor. One side is saying, 'okay, you're good,' while the other side is saying, 'not quite.'"
Buck's firearm rights were initially restored by Judge Dan Johnson, who signed the order following an August 6 hearing where the prosecution raised no objections.
In his original appeal, Buck cited two key motivations: his wife's inability to reclaim the rifle from the pawn shop and his desire to join a hunting trip with his five sons.
His convictions date back to January 18, 2008, when he was found guilty of nine counts of second-degree unlawful possession of firearms.
The charges were connected to an incident in 2007 during which Buck intervened to prevent the arrest of his 17-year-old son.
Judge Johnson is expected to review Buck's request for an amendment to the August order in the coming weeks.
"I am a person. I made mistakes. I have paid the price and they still took my gun rights," said Buck.
Olivia Harnack is the award-winning managing editor/photographer/videographer/columnist at the Lincoln County Record-Times, with offices in both Davenport and Odessa, Wash. She is a University of Idaho graduate and a U.S. Army National Guardsman.
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