Ms. Phifer was jailed and brought before the court in June, and released on an personal recognizance bond. At the time of her arraignment (she was not represented by counsel), the District Attorney’s Office, acting on a request from the Savanna Police Department, asked that all Ms. Phifer’s firearms be placed in the custody of the Savanna Police Department as a condition of her bond.

Ms. Phifer did remove all of her firearms, even though no one had believed her to be a threat for the preceding year and a half, but placed them in the custody of her attorneys. If the point of the request was that Ms. Phifer shouldn’t have access to a firearm because of the nature of the charges, one would think that would be enough. However, it is not enough for the Savanna Police Department, they want the guns.

We have been doing this for a little while, and when government agents want to take someone’s property for “safe keeping” it’s always enough to cause the hairs on the back of our collective necks to go up. I can’t tell you of the countless times that these agencies “lose” property, or the headache it becomes just to get property returned in the same condition it was taken. So, we have fought.

Today the court ordered that we had to hand over the guns to the Savanna Police Department. To protect our client’s property, we diligently formulated individual releases for each firearm, noted the serial number, and photographed each to demonstrate the condition. Chief Spears and Officer Hines appeared at our offices and demanded the guns. We asked them to comply with signing our releases, and they declined. We had to ask them to leave.

Ask yourself this question, “Why?” Why do they want these guns so bad, and why are they so afraid to just sign a piece of paper? Whenever the government wants to hold your property always be suspicious, know your rights, and call a lawyer. Don’t be a victim.

*Both Brecken and Blake are on call attorneys for the United States Concealed Carry Association.