Man Using 'Biden Defense' Gets Gun Charge Dropped In Washington State Case

In July 2013, Jeffery Barton, a Washington State resident, was charged with a misdemeanor for "illegally discharging a firearm." On July 17, 2013 Barton plead "not guilty" to the charge.

This week, a few days before his jury trial was about to begin, those charges were dropped, it seems thanks in part to Vice President Joe Biden.

The incident that triggered Barton's arrest happened on July 15, 2013. He admitted to firing his shotgun into the air as he was chasing off some would-be car thieves.

Barton repeatedly told media outlets, "I did what Joe Biden told me to do. I went outside and fired my shotgun in the air."

In case you have forgotten the Joe Biden advice Barton was referring to, it happened during a February 2013 interview with Parents Magazine. Biden delivered a simple, clear bit of guidance to anyone considering buying a gun for home protection:

Throughout the legal process, Barton has maintained that he did nothing wrong.

In November 2013, it was widely reported that he rejected plea deals offered by the district attorney. Barton opted for a jury trial and even showed up in court wearing a black t-shirt printed with the words "Joe Biden Owes Me."

The case was scheduled to go to trial next week in Clark County District Court. The Columbian reports that the country's district attorney Golik had doubts about convincing a jury that Barton broke the law, so he dropped the firearms charge and has replaced it with the charge of obstructing a law enforcement officer.

At press time, the paperwork on the obstruction charge had not been filed.

Barton also told The Columbian that he felt the new charges were unfounded, adding, "Tony Golik (the Clark County District Attorney) is desperately grasping at straws to keep his ass out of a civil suit, which he's going to get anyway."

TheBlaze has reached out to the Clark County DA's office for comment. This story will be updated with new information when we receive it.

(H/T : The Columbian)

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