Back in July, SantaCruz.com reported about the case of Barbara Saldinger.html, 47, a medical doctor with a degree from Stanford who raises horses as a hobby. Four years ago, Saldinger unwittingly became involved in a major gun rights case. Ironically, the only gun she’s ever owned is a BB gun. Involved in a property dispute with her neighbors, Janette Magoc and Jack Bloxham, she waved a BB gun at Magoc and a friend.
When the case appeared in court, Saldinger, a resident of the Santa Cruz Mountains, argued that she was within her legal rights to protect her property by brandishing a gun. Furthermore, she said, even if they had not yet trespassed, they were about to. Finally, she says, she did not point it at the women but simply waved it above her head. The jury did not buy it and sentenced her to 60 days. She has since been fighting the conviction.
Her fight ended yesterday, when U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton determined that Saldinger must begin serving her sentence immediately. According to Hamilton, she had no chance of winning her case, despite all of her appeals.
The judge was a bit late, however. On Monday, Saldinger already began serving her sentence in a work release program at the Saratoga Summit fire station in Los Gatos. Still, Saldinger and her lawyer Daniel Riordan insist on fighting back and say that they will do so even after her sentence is completed. They have launched a further appeal, saying that their goal is to clear her name. With the NRA and other gun advocacy groups behind her, the case could go on for many years to come. Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
