It has now been 2 years since the inspection that revealed .4% clerical errors that the ATF deemed "willful" and decided to revoke our license after over 70 years. This case has tied up our court system and cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, not to mention what we have suffered personally which has been nearly $90,000 in legal fees and continuous attacks on our character.
I'd say the wrong people's character is being attacked here.
I hope Ryan Horsley's lawyers make a point of letting the judge know that comments posted on blogs by anonymous sources are sometimes trolling, sometimes spam, and sometimes like "letters to the editor"--just because one appears does not imply agreement or sanction by the blogger, as evidenced by people posting disagreements with me on this blog. Non-approval of content does not disqualify a comment from remaining posted here, nor on any honest blog, because doing so would ruin a blogger's reputation for credibility. I would hope those citing a lone anonymous statement-- one that was not a direct threat to anyone but was nevertheless subsequently removed-- are forced to concede under oath that they have no knowledge of who left the comment they are using against Ryan and where their sympathies truly lie. Either that, or they do know, and it was one of theirs. I'd ask them flat out if they could prove that poster was not an agent provocateur.
And as long as BATFU and the US Attorney Deborah Ferguson operate under such devious and self-serving rules of engagement, it's time to start picking up chairs in this bar fight. So I'd also go after a deposition of Area Supervisor Linda Young with the purpose of determining if that apparent stain running down the backside and leg of her slacks is from an external or internal source. If it turns out to be the latter, I'd file a formal complaint with OSHA for workplace safety and sanitation violations that endanger the health and safety of my employees and customers, and demand that she be forbidden to enter my premises unless and until mitigating controls and procedures are put into place.