Minimum Age to Carry Concealed by State

Dustin's Gun Blog

Quote of the day

The class of cases to which the constitutional provision applies is widely different from the right of a private citizen to bear, concealed about his person, deadly weapons or arms. In the one, they are kept and carried in conformity with the Constitution and laws of the United States, with a certain specific object in view; in the other, they are kept and carried for private purposes, wholly independent of any constitutional regulation, and to answer private ends, wh[i]ch have no bearing upon the security of the State[.] If this idea be correct, then it follows that when arms are not kept or used for the defense of the State or Federal government, the manner of carrying and mode of using them are subject to the control and authority Of the State Legislature.

State v. Buzzard, 4 Ark. (2 Pike) 18 (1842)

An opposing opinion

I have to admit that it is quite nice of the people at this blog to allow a raging "gun loon" like myself the ability to give the opposite side of the issue. 

After all, we know that the good old days were quite different from what they are now.

People like this solid citizen used to open carry and had easy access to firearms.  There weren't many criminals and the ones out there didn't walk around with guns.

That point came to me when I was in my basement and heard a loud noise from upstairs.

It was at that point that I realized I didn't have a machinegun the way granny did because of those gun grabbers.  I would have had to make due with a semi-automatic pistol to deal with whatever intruder happened to be upstairs.

Unfortunately, it was my grandkid.

At least medical science has progressed and the little monster will live.

But, I have to admit I miss the good old days when solid citizens like the one I have pictured here had access to machineguns, short-barrelled shotguns, and other firearms that are hard for the average citizen to own.

It's nice to know that some people out there agree with me and want to carry weapons like these on the streets these days.

Even better, they can shoot the police in Indiana.  Hell, when grannie's friend John Dillinger did that sort of thing, the cops went and hunted him down.  These people weren't criminals, they were otherwise law abiding citizens.

But, Johnny would be proud to be a Hoosier these days!  Hell, he might even be alive thanks to the wise legislators in Indiana.

I miss the good old days and wish there were more guns out there in the hands of people that the law deems to be criminals.

But, they were good people who knew how to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

Respect or fear

We've already seen one reality challenged right winger express his desire to go back to the time of the Walton's.  Too bad walking around with a gun back then probably would have ended up with a trip to the Hoosegow.

Take the word of Sheriff Taylor:

Concealed Carry on Guam

via ssgmarkcr

 Here is another ripple caused by the 9th Circuit ruling that repealed "may issue" permit laws in its jurisdiction. 

"Residents could soon be able to get a concealed firearms permit if they meet certain qualifications, if the governor signs a bill that was passed into law by the Legislature yesterday.

Bill 296 would align Guam's firearms law with other jurisdictions and require the police department to issue concealed firearms permits to residents who meet certain requirements."

"The bill was one of many that senators voted to pass during the last day of session yesterday. The bill received 13 "yes" votes and two "no" votes from Speaker Judith Won Pat and Vice Speaker Benjamin Cruz."

"The bill would require the Guam Police Department to issue concealed firearms permits to applicants who have shown, among other requirements:

• they are not a convicted felon;

• they have not been imprisoned; or

• they have not been committed to programs for substance abuse.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in February and March repealed "may issue" laws in California and Hawaii, respectively."

http://www.guampdn.com/article/20140510/NEWS01/305100009?odyssey=mod%7cmostcom

    Data about crime in Guam isn't very current, though it seemed to take up a sizable portion of governor's State of The Island address.

Orange County Sheriff to Keep Issuing Concealed-weapon Permits

via ssgmarkcr

LINK

  I found this article interesting.  The 9th Circuit issued a stay of its own decision while it considered the request by the California AG to reconsider the decision.  The Orange County Sheriff is continuing to honor the original decision and is issuing carry permits.

"But some critics questioned why, with a stay in place, Sheriff Sandra Hutchens chose to adhere to the new, less-restrictive policy. The suspension, they argue, provides an opportunity to revert to the tougher permit requirements that Hutchens and other sheriffs in urban parts of California had maintained. Hutchens has said she would reconsider the new permit rules if a stay was issued."

“She has confused me completely,” said Charles Blek, president of the Orange County Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “There is … no reason for her to continue with the new policy.”

"Since Feb. 19, when Hutchens changed the local standard, Hallock said the Sheriff's Department has received more than 700 applications. But it is taking more than 90 days to issue permits, and Hallock said the department is hopeful a court decision will be rendered by then."

    My guess is that the Sheriff read the decision, understands it, and is in good faith following it.  Right now they are determining whether the AG even has legal standing to contest the decision. 

Illinois Mails First 5,000 CCW Permits

The Examiner

State Police began mailing the first 5,000 concealed carry licenses today, marking the beginning of a new era in the Prairie State.

SAF’s Moore v. Madigan, and a similar case filed by the National Rifle Association known as Shepard v. Madigan, forced the Illinois Legislature, over the objections of anti-gun Gov. Pat Quinn, to adopt a carry statute. Illinois was the last state in the nation to deny its citizens the right to bear arms in self-defense outside the home and had to be compelled by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

“While politicians had to be dragged kicking and screaming into compliance with the Second Amendment,” SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb said in a statement just released to the press, “the good citizens are rushing to enjoy their newly-restored firearms freedom. State officials said today they have received more than 50,000 permit applications.”

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that about 400 applications are coming in daily, which is down from the initial surge of 1,000 daily applications. Still, this is a strong indication that “the die-hard anti-gun politicians who opposed this new law are horribly out of touch with their constituents,” Gottlieb said.

What will be interesting to watch are the violent crime rates. Many concealed carry advocates contend that states with higher concentrations of legally armed citizens have lower violent crime rates, while anti-gunners say the opposite is true. More important, however, is whether they rise. Many gun prohibitionists have insisted for years that more guns in the hands of private citizens leads to more violent crime, but FBI crime data tends to belie that claim. Murder rates have declined over the past few years as gun sales have climbed dramatically along with the number of concealed carry permits and licenses across the country.

I don't know if what's happening in Illinois indicates that the gun-control politicians had been "horribly out of touch with their constituents."  Do the numbers really show that?

More Minnesotans Have Permits to Carry a Gun Than Ever Before

Star Tribune link

via ssgmarkcr:

  I came upon this article that is close to home for me.  Minnesota's carry permit has broken a new record with a total of over 165,000.  Stories like this are fairly common when the new legislative session starts.  The problem is that the media has a hard time portraying permit holders as a problem because the information on what little criminal behavior is committed is freely available, including data on when the permits are taken away. 

    Minnesota permit holders are also politically active, last year there was an attempt to pass legislation passed to ban assault weapons, high capacity magazines, and of course mandate universal background checks.  The turn-out by permit holders greatly outnumbered those supporting the legislation, and there were no confrontations.  And of course, most everyone exercised their prerogative to carry in the capitol.  I'm not sure if I'll be able to attend, but I have sent the required notification in to inform them of my intent to carry if I visit.

 

"Permits issued in Minnesota for carrying a firearm nearly doubled in 2013 vs. the previous year, state officials said Friday, helping push the number of active permit holders to its highest total ever measured.

About 20 percent of the 60,471 permits issued last year were renewals, which are required every five years, according to the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).

Also, the number of active permit holders has grown to 165,295, an increase of about one-third from the total of 125,339 a year ago at this time, the agency reported. Not everyone who has a permit is a gun owner.

The current number of permit holders is the highest ever measured by the BCA, said spokeswoman Jill Oliveira. The agency does not keep a day-by-day tally, but it gathers snapshot totals upon request. The previous high reported by the BCA upon request was 159,691 (on Nov. 26, 2013).

Sheriffs statewide reported 540 permits were denied in 2013, 28 suspended, 18 voided and 11 revoked, the BCA said."

Orange County Loosens Requirements for Carrying Concealed Guns

LA Times

Orange County has loosened requirements for carrying concealed weapons in public following a pro-gun ruling last week by a federal appeals court, officials said Thursday.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2 to 1 that California counties may no longer require residents who want to carry concealed firearms to demonstrate special, individualized needs for protection. The court majority said law-abiding residents have a 2nd Amendment right to bear a gun in public.

The ruling is not yet final, and if successfully appealed, may never take effect. But Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens announced on the department's website that the county has decided to comply anyway.

"Regardless of what her personal positions are, she feels she needs to abide by what the law is," Lt. Jeff Hallock, a sheriff spokesman, said Thursday.

He said the department has received "a huge influx" of requests for permits to carry concealed guns since the 9th Circuit ruling. He cautioned, though, that the new relaxed rules might be "revisited" if the court decision is appealed or overturned.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department, which handles gun carry permits for the county's cities, will now give residents permits if they simply cite a need for personal safety or self-defense, as long as other conditions are met, the department said. Those conditions include an interview, background check, completion of a firearms training course and a fee.

California Concealed Carry Permits Could Reach 1.4 Million in the First Year

--(Ammoland.com)-   Following the Ninth Circuit decision holding “good cause” requirements unconstitutional, The Calguns Foundation projects that the number of California carry licensees will skyrocket during the first year of effective “shall-issue” licensing.

According to data sent to The Calguns Foundation by the California Department of Justice, the number of California CCW licensees in 2013 totaled about 56,000.

However, in applying projections to state and county population figures from the state’s Department of Finance, Calguns believes that the number of licensees in California might reach as high as 1.4 million in the Golden State during the first year of a “shall issue” system.

It seems I'm not the only one in the prediction business. But at least mine make sense.

New Jersey Man Sues the State over Concealed Carry Permit Denial

nj dot com

The National Rifle Association is supporting a Sussex County man's lawsuit seeking a permit to carry his handgun outside of his house, the organization announced this week.

The national lobbying group said it was backing John Drake’s lawsuit with a forthcoming amicus brief, in support of Second-Amendment rights in New Jersey, the organization said. Drake, and other plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit, petitioned last month to have their case heard in the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Law-abiding citizens have a constitutional right to defend themselve beyond their front doorstep,” said Chris W. Cox, the executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action.

Drake, of Fredon, is a business owner who owns and services ATMs – and who carries large amounts of cash, he said in an interview this morning. The suit challenges New Jersey law requiring "justifiable need" to acquire concealed-carry permits, he said.

The problem is not with the "may issue" system which requires the applicant to present "justifiable need," but rather with the definition of "justifiable need."

In my opinion, Mr. Drake qualifies.  I don't see that it's necessary to dismantle the entire system in order to accommodate cases like this.  Of course that's what the pro-gun folks want, but with a minor tweak, the New Jersey system can be sufficiently improved.

California Concealed Carry Permits by County

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMITS IN CALIFORNIA
 

Ten years later:

Michigan Concealed Carry Permits Called into Question

Concealed Carry - The Best and the Worst States

Guns and Ammo

51. Washington D.C.Permit Issuance: 0Reciprocity: 0Training Time: 0Application Fee: 0Stand Your Ground: 0Best States for Gun Owners: 0Duty to Inform: 0Pre-Emption: 0Issued to Non-Residents: 0TOTAL: 0It’s hard to believe any place in the United States—aside from places such as prisons and mental institutions—could possibly score a zero. Until the recent Heller Supreme Court decision, residents weren’t even allowed to own guns. No magazines are allowed that hold more than 10 rounds, there is no law permitting concealed carry, and there is no Castle Doctrine law.

1. Arizona
Permit Issuance: 25
Reciprocity: 18
Training Time: 10
Application Fee: 10
Stand Your Ground: 10
Best States for Gun Owners: 10
Duty to Inform: 5
Pre-Emption: 5
Issued to Non-Residents: 5
TOTAL: 98 
After taking the top spot in “The Best States for Gun Owners,” Arizona tops the leaderboard once again. As a “Constitutional Carry” state, anyone 21 and over who can legally own a firearm can carry it concealed without a license. In addition, Arizona issues licenses on a Shall-Issue basis, allowing residents and non-residents to carry their weapons when traveling out-of-state. Arizona also has no duty to immediately inform an officer, has excellent reciprocity and a Stand Your Ground law.

Concealed Carry Pastor Stops Robbery

Does the Second Amendment Cover the Right to Carry Concealed?

Towards the end of the video, we have two references to lower-court decisions. Naturally, our pro-gun commenters often mention the one but never mention the other.

The Tenth Circuit said the Second Amendment conveys no right to concealed carry of a firearm. That's the one our lying friends ignore.

"We can't have law enforcement second guessing who should be able to carry a gun..."

Funny, especially in the light of all the stories about people who go around with CCW permits who probably should never have been issued with them in the first place...

Case in point:

Robert Taylor, one of two men who died Wednesday in a shootout after a driving altercation, had his concealed pistol license revoked for three years because of a drunken driving conviction.
Ionia County Prosecutor Ron Schafer today confirmed that Taylor lost his license in November 2006 after a drunken-driving conviction. He registered 0.18 on a portable breathalyzer.
But he obtained a new license in November 2010 after four years.

And we know what happened here...

Brilliant idea--don't let the cops deny permits to people who really shouldn't have them in the first place.

Drunk Concealed Carry Permit Holder in Seattle Loses It

Komo News reports via Southern Beale

According to the police report for the incident, the bartender was putting away his business' deck furniture in the 1900 block of First Avenue around 12:30 a.m. when the suspect walked up to him and started moving things around, such as the chain and poles separating the business from the sidewalk.

The bartender later told officers he asked the suspect to stop messing with things, and the highly intoxicated suspect responded by yelling, "Hey, it's a free country!"

According to the report, the bartender and suspect continued to "trash talk" while the bartender was stacking chairs. Eventually, the suspect turned things physical by pushing the stack of chairs into the bartender's face, causing a gash that would require stitches, according to the report.

The two men started fighting, eventually falling to the ground and rolling into the middle of the street.

According to the report, the suspect's pistol fell out of his hip holster during the fight and skittered across the pavement. An employee at a business next door heard the bartender's cries for help, grabbed the gun and called 911.

When officers arrived, they found the bartender and the employee from next door holding the screaming suspect down.

According to the report, the next-door employee handed the gun over to police, and officers handcuffed the suspect, who refused to calm down.

A quick check on the suspect and his gun revealed it was registered to him and he had a valid concealed weapons permit for it. In addition to the gun, the suspect also had a number of work-related knives on him.

The suspect was arrested and booked into King County Jail.

Pennsylvania Concealed Carry Permit Holder Involved in Hit-and Run Road Rage Incident - One Person Shot - No Charges

Local news reports

A man is in stable condition at a local hospital following a suspected road rage incident in Southwest Philadelphia late Wednesday night.

Police say that a road rage incident sparked an argument and then a fight between two men that ended with a 37-year-old man being shot in the arm.

Authorities are calling the shooting -- which happened around 11:30 p.m. on the 6400-block of Grays Avenue -- accidental.

They say that the victim was involved in an accident with a 48-year-old and that he fled the scene.

The older man followed the victim and when he got out of his car near his house, the two began fighting. It was then the victim was pistol-whipped and hit in the wrist with a bullet from a gun that went off accidentally, according to police.

A witness was able to flag down an officer quickly and that officer arrived on the scene to find the 48-year-old man with the weapon, according to police.

The victim is recovering in the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Police say the alleged gunman has a license to carry.

No one has been charged in the shooting. 

I'm not sure from this poorly written article which one of them had the gun.  What do you think?

One thing for sure, whichever one it was did not act the way concealed carry permit holders are supposed to act. Am I right?

But never fear, no charges have been filed.  That means this poor example of a licensed gun owner will have more opportunities to prove his worth. 

Wisconsin Republicans Support Gun Laws

Wisconsin Watch

In early August, amid a wave of carnage in Milwaukee, something remarkable occurred: A Republican state lawmaker called for new legislation to address gun violence, and Republican Gov. Scott Walker said the measure, sought by Milwaukee’s mayor and chief of police, had his support.

“I’m more than willing to talk with law enforcement here or anywhere else about creating mandatory minimum sentences for people who illegally possess a firearm,” Walker said, so long as the rights of others are not curtailed. “I’m all for that.”

At issue is a bill now being drafted for state Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, to mandate a three-year prison term for illegal firearm possession. Darling said she acted after talking with law enforcement officials in Milwaukee, where 23 people were shot, seven fatally, during a single week in early August.

Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn “couldn’t be more pleased with the apparent bipartisan support” for tougher gun-related penalties, says chief of staff Joel Plant. Flynn wants tougher rules for habitual criminals who carry weapons or commit gun crimes. A habitual criminal, by state statute, is anyone with one prior felony or three misdemeanor convictions within the past five years. 

Plant says this will mean amending the state’s concealed carry law to bar persons who meet this test from obtaining a license to pack heat. Currently, most kinds of misdemeanor convictions cannot be used to deny a concealed carry license.

In fact, even if the change Barrett and Flynn want is adopted, a person with two misdemeanor convictions for carrying a concealed gun without a license could still obtain one on request.

Imagine that having two or three misdemeanor convictions DOES NOT prevent one from getting a concealed carry permit.  And the gun-rights fanatics wonder why we're skeptical about the supposed safety record of permit holders.

Wisconsin seems to be on track to make some improvements.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.