The New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney's office appears to be engaged in a shakedown of local businesses, forcing them to pay six-figure so-called "contributions" or risk unwarranted criminal penalties, in a move more like that of organized crime than the agency charged with protecting citizens, said a national group representing the rights of Americans who own and use pocket knives. Knife Rights Chairman, Doug Ritter, said, "the New York County District Attorney, Cyrus Vance, Jr. appears to have targeted legitimate, honest knife dealers, accused them of selling illegal 'gravity knives,' and threatening criminal prosecution if they don't pay up. The so-called "gravity knives" in question appear to be conventional one-handed and assisted-opening knives, which represent 80 percent of the pocket knives sold in the U.S. today." Some of the major retailers have reported agreed to six-figure settlements and have netted the DA millions of dollars.

Knife Rights was instrumental in passing legislation last summer, in response to a misinterpretation of law by U.S Customs and Border Protection, that specifically excepted these common pocket knives used daily by millions of Americans from the definition of a switchblade under the Federal Switchblade Act. The legislation was supported by Customs and was passed by U.S. Congress, with strong bipartisan support, and signed into law by President PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. on October 28, 2009.

Ritter said, "Given the passage of this legislation, the DA is attacking people who sell knives that were clearly defined by Congress as simple pocket knives, legislation that was supported by leading Democratic lawmakers such as Henry Waxman (D-CA), Charles Rangel (D-NY), David Obey (D-WI) and others. This action is not only unethical; it places Mr. Vance at odds with even liberal urban lawmakers and outside the mainstream on this issue."

Among the dozen or so businesses that have reported to have been targeted in New York City are Eastern Mountain Sports, Orvis, Paragon Sports, Lowe's and Home Depot. At least one out-of-state Internet retailer has been targeted.

You can view one of a number of news articles and images of the DA's Thursday afternoon news conference (held after this initial Knife Rights new release was sent out) here: http://bit.ly/ar7FLT

The six-figure so-called "contributions" are being made to a "public education fund" controlled by the DA in order to secure "deferred prosecution" agreements to avoid threatened criminal charges. Additional outrageous and over-reaching demands have also apparently been made to avoid prosecution.

Said Ritter, "This appears to be little more than extortion on the part of a District Attorney who appears determined to shake down honest businesses and remove from the New York market common tools used daily by New Yorkers in their homes, in business and while recreating. These are simple pocket knives, legitimate tools used every day by millions of law-abiding Americans."


More: http://bit.ly/ayTLMc