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Women fined for taking guns into federal building

Fallschirjmäger

Fallschirjmäger

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Cumming, Georgia, USA
Mind providing a citation for a jurisdiction where such is illegal?
Against courtroom rules maybe, but illegal? It could be that way, but I just want to see the statute.
 
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Aknazer

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MAC702 said:
You know, I actually am having trouble being sympathetic to people who can forget they have a firearm in their purse.

I think the fines are fitting punishment. No jail time is deserved for stuff like this.

That said, I do not agree that it should be illegal to carry in a federal courthouse, but this is not exactly a modern or secret law here, especially since they submitted to having their purses go through the scanner, after no doubt passing numerous signs.

Seriously, did they really "forget" they had guns? At what point during an assault/rape/murder would they remember?
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I carry at my house and practically any time that I leave my house. As such sometimes I "forget" that I'm carrying. But by "forget" I don't mean that I don't remember that its on me, I mean that I go about my life not thinking about it. And this had led to a few times that I've had to turn around or change my plans due to not being allowed to carry on-base and forgetting to leave my gun at home.

So I can see how they would forget. I doubt that they 100% forgot about it, but rather they forgot about it being prohibited because they don't constantly fret about it.
 
MAC702

MAC702

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Aknazer said:
..So I can see how they would forget. I doubt that they 100% forgot about it, but rather they forgot about it being prohibited because they don't constantly fret about it.
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Actually, I still don't buy it. It's obvious that they aren't regularly going to the courthouse. Who doesn't approach a secured Federal building with a line through a metal detector and say to themselves: "Oh, what do I have on me that probably shouldn't go through there?"

I'm especially concerned because of the off-body purse carry. If you can "forget" your sidearm is in your purse, where else are you leaving said purse lay and it not be in your constant physical contact? I can almost justify the fines as serious violations of firearms safety rules.
 
E

ecocks

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Red Dawg said:
I think the way they were fined was correct, but not right. It is illeagal to have a cell phone in the court house, court rooms in some jurisdictions. It is not illeagal to have them on your person until you get to the metal detector. SO, if they found a cell phone during screening, they would turn you away. Why did they not do the same with the handgun? That is what I have an issue with. All things being equal, why are there separate "rules" and the enforcement therein..
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You have a fair point on the woman who had her CWL but the other woman was illegally carrying a concealed handgun according to my understanding of the story. This clearly violates state law.

Federal buildings are illegal carry zones. I'm forced to disarm in Social Security offices, Forestry Service buildings, Department of Agriculture offices, Post Offices, etc. I don't like it or agree with it but it is the law.

18 U.S.C. § 930 : US Code - Section 930: Possession of firearms and dangerous weapons in Federal facilities

If you wish to contend that having your carry permit or even open carry constitutes "lawful carry" go ahead and give it a shot. I don't think you'll be the first to try it.
 
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Aknazer

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MAC702 said:
Actually, I still don't buy it. It's obvious that they aren't regularly going to the courthouse. Who doesn't approach a secured Federal building with a line through a metal detector and say to themselves: "Oh, what do I have on me that probably shouldn't go through there?"

I'm especially concerned because of the off-body purse carry. If you can "forget" your sidearm is in your purse, where else are you leaving said purse lay and it not be in your constant physical contact? I can almost justify the fines as serious violations of firearms safety rules.
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You wouldn't take your purse through a metal detector as it would go through an x ray machine. So again, I can see how they might not think about it even though they know its there. Also I've heard of other states that require the building to provide a place to lock up your weapon if it isn't allowed.

And what does "regularly going to the courthouse" have to do with anything? I almost never go to the post office and that is another one that I've had issues with carrying. Or babies r us as they are posted and my wife drags me there on occasion. When one is going about their life it can be easy to simply not remember to leave the gun in the car/home.
 
MAC702

MAC702

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Aknazer said:
You wouldn't take your purse through a metal detector as it would go through an x ray machine. So again, I can see how they might not think about it even though they know its there. Also I've heard of other states that require the building to provide a place to lock up your weapon if it isn't allowed.

And what does "regularly going to the courthouse" have to do with anything? I almost never go to the post office and that is another one that I've had issues with carrying. Or babies r us as they are posted and my wife drags me there on occasion. When one is going about their life it can be easy to simply not remember to leave the gun in the car/home.
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Okay in place of where I said "metal detector" read "scanning machines."

The post office doesn't (yet) have a line of people waiting to go through a manned scanning machine set-up that SHOULD cause a few brain cells to click together about taking weapons through it.
 
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