Gun Straw Purchases, Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live Show

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• Milwaukee Officials Call For Stronger Gun Laws Against Straw Purchasers

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  Several Milwaukee leaders, including Mayor Tom Barrett, are calling for stronger gun laws aimed at straw purchasers

  The move comes after a woman was charged on Wednesday for allegedly providing a gun to her boyfriend who was a convicted felon. Police said the boyfriend used that gun last week to shoot a Milwaukee police officer during an alleged burglary. The officer survived but was was seriously hurt.

  A straw purchase is when someone buys a gun for someone else who wouldn’t be eligible to do so on their own, like a convicted felon. The guns are usually purchased at licensed shops or gun shows.

  “Straw purchases are a horrible problem in the city of Milwaukee,” said Stan Stojkovic, a criminal justice expert and dean of the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

  Stojkovic said Barrett, Police Chief Ed Flynn and District Attorney John Chisholm have all urged state lawmakers to strengthen laws around straw purchases. Under current state law, straw buyers face misdemeanor charges.

  However, Stojkovic said a misdemeanor conviction is difficult for prosecutors because it’s tough to prove in court beyond a reasonable doubt that the straw purchaser was in fact aware that the person they were knowingly handing the gun to is a convicted felon.

  It’s also an investigative problem, said Stojkovic. Police officers often aren’t able to apprehend a suspect until a crime has already been committed, he said.

  The challenges aren’t preventing local officials from trying to get guns out of the hands of serious criminals. They’re advocating for a new law that would allow prosecutors to charge straw buyers with a felony.

  “They want some teeth to it,” said Stojkovic. “I know that Chief Flynn has been adamant about this over the last two to three years, and he’s spoken publicly about this very much so.”

  But changing the law to enhance the severity of the penalty doesn’t change the fact that prosecutors will still find it difficult to win convictions. The burden of proof will still be a major problem, said Stojkovic.

• 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' Stars To Perform In Milwaukee

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  Fans of 1990s comedy show “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” might be interested in “The Mads,” a new stage production coming soon to Milwaukee by the writers and performers better known by fans as Mad Scientist, Dr. Clayton Forrester and his henchman, the bumbling and loveable Frank.

  Actors Trace Beaulieu (Forrester) and Frank Conniff (Frank) will bring their unique brand of comedy and movie critique to the stage in much the same way they did on the long-running TV series, which aired on Comedy Central and later, the Sci-Fi Channel. Although they no longer don the elaborate costumes or characters as they did on the TV program, on stage, the two have a short conversation with the audience and then show a short and feature length film of questionable quality as the object of their comedic routine.

  “We riff them and make fun of the films just like we did on ‘Mystery Science Theater 3000,’” said Conniff.

  “We actually have a great deal of affection for these films. We’re not pointing the finger and just making fun and mocking .. Ah, well, I guess we’re doing that too,” said Beaulieu.

  “We look at it more as a collaboration between ourselves and the film. The filmmaker went to the trouble of making the film and we’re adding our commentary onto the film to create a more entertaining experience,” said Conniff.

  The two will riff in Milwaukee this week as they bring the production to Milwaukee’s Turner Hall Ballroom on Friday.

  “Doing ‘Mystery Science Theater 3000’ was a great experience, and I couldn’t imagine anything better than that. But, actually doing live movie riffing takes it to a whole other level and is actually way more pleasurable experience,” said Conniff.

  Conniff said the immediate feedback that he gets from the audience on stage is the reason he keeps doing this work.

• Leaders Call For Stronger Laws To Curb Straw Gun Purchases

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  Several Milwaukee leaders including the Mayor, are calling for stronger laws aimed at straw gun purchases. The move comes after a woman was charged Wednesday for providing a gun to her felon boyfriend used to shoot a police officer. We speak to a criminal justice expert about the issue.

• Mystery Science Theater Stars Share Love Of Bad Movies

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  The cult favorite TV show “Mystery Science Theater 3000” made bad movies fun with snarky commentary. Two of the show’s writers and performers preview a live show in Milwaukee, and tell us what goes into picking the best bad movies.