Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Rocky Mountain Gun Owners Joins Case to Defend Fr. Peter Raleigh
Loveland, CO – Rocky Mountain Gun Owners (RMGO), Colorado’s only no-compromise gun-rights organization, along with the nation’s premier Second Amendment legal foundation, the National Foundation for Gun Rights (NFGR), announced today that they would be backing the legal defense team of Father Peter Raleigh of Holy Innocents Catholic Church in Trinidad, Colorado.
On August 15th of 2020, Fr. Raleigh and a group of parishioners went out to eat at a local restaurant after a day at the shooting range. After being seated, Fr. Raleigh showed his Ruger LCP handgun, after removing the magazine and extracting the round from the chamber, to a guest at the table who was scheduled to receive his concealed carry permit the next day.
This caused an uproar from the table next to them. The police were called, and he was initially charged with possessing a firearm while under the influence – despite no evidence that Fr. Raleigh was intoxicated. Charges were later amended to disorderly conduct – displaying a weapon “in a manner calculated to alarm,” also despite zero supporting evidence.
“This is just another case of a power-hungry DA expressing his anti-gun views on an innocent citizen. RMGO along with NFGR are going to do everything in our power to help out Fr. Raleigh,” said Taylor Rhodes, Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners.
Fr. Raleigh’s trial date has been set for May 10, 2021, where Erica Anderson of O’Malley and Sawyer, LLC is representing him.
“After reviewing the case, it is clear the DA’s office has no evidence of misconduct. The old saying goes, the punishment is the process, and unfortunately, the anti-gun District Attorney’s office is using that against Fr. Raleigh,” said Rhodes.
RMGO, along with NFGR, have committed substantial financial resources to help fund the defense of Father Raleigh.
Hannah Hill, Policy Analyst for the National Foundation for Gun Rights, added, “Pro-gun laws mean nothing if they aren’t respected by local authorities. This DA’s office is weaponizing the laws that should protect Fr. Raleigh and using them to carry out a personal agenda. We stand with Fr. Raleigh as he fights these bogus charges.”
Rocky Mountain Gun Owners is a 501(c)(4) organization headquartered in Loveland, Colorado, with a mission to hold politicians accountable and achieve maximum liberty for an individual to defend themselves, their family, and their property without having to ask the government for permission to do so. Since its founding, RMGO has led the fight against anti-gun politicians with the support of more than 200,000 members and grassroots activists statewide.
###
