Can the state ask you to remove firearm or leave state property?

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Found this while "surfin" the net. The text below is from meeting minutes of the Trustees of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. No follow up was found in my searching.

Ms. Amato addressed the issue of visitors having weapons visible in the Museum as a man recently came to the Museum with a side arm in view. Security asked that he secure the weapon in his car or elsewhere and he refused and left the Museum. This led us to talk to state officials and we found that Virginia has an open carry law in place except on school property. Special Counsel and Assistant Attorney General, Joan Murphy, said she would consult with her office downtown for further research on the issue and report back to us.

[align=left]Full link here: www.vmfa.state.va.us/FB11-06m.pdf[/align]
[align=left]From reading the minutes, obviously an education issue, but back to my question: Can the state ask you to remove the firearm or leave state property? It isn't reported that he was asked to leave and I'm assuming the "security" person is a rent-a-cop. [/align]

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I've open carried at the VA Museum of Fine Arts. The security ninjas swarmed me, demanded my information (which I did not give them), and told me to leave. I told them no, and they walked away and left me alone.

I believe somebody got kicked out of there for OC a few weeks before I went there, and the issue was brought to their attention.

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I would think unless they have something in the code or VAC prohibiting carry, the answer is no. Unfortunately they will sometimes try anyway. Here is the source of that inquiry.



http://www2.vcdl.org/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.sh/vcdl/vadetail.html?RECID=1350753&FILTER=
***********************************************
3. Richmond Museum of Fine Arts playing games with gun owners!
***********************************************

As VCDL members, you are pretty well versed on Virginia gun laws and
know your rights. Heaven help you if you don't and you come up
against a security guard trying to trick and intimidate you.

In this case, the hapless guard decided to pick on VCDL Board member
Dennis O'Connor. BAD mistake:

Dennis sent me this email:

--

I went back to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts today for the first
time since the Oct. 28th conflict with their security guards over
open carry.

In the newspaper article reporting on that incident, the Museum
spokesperson admitted they had no authority to ban guns, and said in
the future they would asked armed patrons to leave their firearms
outside, but would not further bother them if the patron refused.

Today I was open carrying the full size Springfield Armory XD in .45
ACP as I had the last time, when a security guard approached me and
said "Excuse me, sir. Are you aware of the Code of Virginia? I'm
going to ask you to take your firearm back to your vehicle for the
comfort of our visitors." [HAHAHAHAHA! Dennis aware of the Code of
Virginia? Well, if you consider someone able to quote the gun laws
chapter and verse as "knowing the Code of Virginia," then I would
say, "yes!" HAHAHAHA! - PVC]

When I looked at her and said "Sorry, but no," she quickly said "OK,
then have a pleasant tour of the museum" and walked away. She did
come back a few minutes later with who I suspect was a guard
supervisor, and the two of them stood watching me at a distance for a
few minutes between intermittent radio calls before leaving again.
[Dennis should have said, "Excuse me. Do you know the Code of
Virginia? I'm going to have to ask you to turn those radios off and
give them to me!" - PVC]

While I cannot fault them for quickly dropping the subject this time
when I again refused to comply, It is rather sneaky of them to have
implied that I was in violation of the law when I certainly was not.
It is undoubtedly meant to intimidate those who do not have a full
understanding of their rights or the law.

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doug23838 wrote:

Found this while "surfin" the net.   The text below is from meeting minutes of the Trustees of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.  No follow up was found in my searching.  

Ms. Amato addressed the issue of visitors having weapons visible in the Museum as a man recently came to the Museum with a side arm in view. Security asked that he secure the weapon in his car or elsewhere and he refused and left the Museum. This led us to talk to state officials and we found that Virginia has an open carry law in place except on school property.  Special Counsel and Assistant Attorney General, Joan Murphy, said she would consult with her  office downtown for further research on the issue and report back to us.

[align=left]Full link here: www.vmfa.state.va.us/FB11-06m.pdf[/align]
[align=left]From reading the minutes, obviously an education issue, but back to my question:  Can the state ask you to remove the firearm or leave state property?   It isn't reported that he was asked to leave and I'm assuming the "security" person is a rent-a-cop. [/align]

Click to expand...

It is interesting that the question was raised in Nov 2006. How long would it take them to get the answer and report it in the minutes? Folks on this forum seem to be able to find and report this sort of thing in a matter of just moments.

Kind of makes you go Hum.

regards

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doug23838 wrote:

This led us to talk to state officials and we found that Virginia has an open carry law in place except on school property.

Click to expand...

There is no "open carry" law in Virginia. Nor is there a "red shirt" law. Thoerefore, you may wear a gun or red shirt as desired.

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longwatch wrote:

I would think unless they have something in the code or VAC prohibiting carry, the answer is no. Unfortunately they will sometimes try anyway. Here is the source of that inquiry.

Click to expand...

What is VAC?

Would someone PM me?

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Isn't this the place where Phillip Van Cleave and Dennis O'Connor had their issue? And all was resolved in favor of the citizens?

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Tess wrote:

Isn't this the place where Phillip Van Cleave and Dennis O'Connor had their issue? And all was resolved in favor of the citizens?

Click to expand...

It appears I'm late to the party.

And, not didn'tthink itthrough completely before I posed my query, I know the anser is no. They can't make you leave the DMV, the library, the museum, etc.

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VAC = Virginia Administrative Code

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Here is a link the the VAC
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+men+SRR
One regulation that you will find there is the infamous VCU gun ban.

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Tomahawk wrote:

There is no "open carry" law in Virginia.

Click to expand...

But these people wish there were an open carry law - a law forbidding open carry.

Upon their "further review," I'm sure they'll be astonished to learn that they really ARE powerless to harass law abiding gun owners.

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Hawkflyer wrote:

doug23838 wrote:

Found this while "surfin" the net. The text below is from meeting minutes of the Trustees of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. No follow up was found in my searching.

Ms. Amato addressed the issue of visitors having weapons visible in the Museum as a man recently came to the Museum with a side arm in view. Security asked that he secure the weapon in his car or elsewhere and he refused and left the Museum. This led us to talk to state officials and we found that Virginia has an open carry law in place except on school property. Special Counsel and Assistant Attorney General, Joan Murphy, said she would consult with her office downtown for further research on the issue and report back to us.

[align=left]Full link here: http://www.vmfa.state.va.us/FB11-06m.pdf[/align]
[align=left]From reading the minutes, obviously an education issue, but back to my question: Can the state ask you to remove the firearm or leave state property? It isn't reported that he was asked to leave and I'm assuming the "security" person is a rent-a-cop. [/align]

Click to expand...

It is interesting that the question was raised in Nov 2006. How long would it take them to get the answer and report it in the minutes? Folks on this forum seem to be able to find and report this sort of thing in a matter of just moments.

Kind of makes you go Hum.

regards

Click to expand...

Maybe they aren't as smart as we are?
:celebrate

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Tomahawk wrote:

doug23838 wrote:

This led us to talk to state officials and we found that Virginia has an open carry law in place except on school property.

Click to expand...

There is no "open carry" law in Virginia. Nor is there a "red shirt" law. Thoerefore, you may wear a gun or red shirt as desired.

Click to expand...

I'll frequently even go as far as to wear a gun AND a red shirt.

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jbobmurph wrote:

Tomahawk wrote:

doug23838 wrote:

This led us to talk to state officials and we found that Virginia has an open carry law in place except on school property.

Click to expand...

There is no "open carry" law in Virginia. Nor is there a "red shirt" law. Thoerefore, you may wear a gun or red shirt as desired.

Click to expand...

I'll frequently even go as far as to wear a gun AND a red shirt.

Click to expand...

Not for me I've seen to much star trek to think thats a good idea.

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Citizen wrote:

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Good one LW.


MM Trifecta!!................

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VAopencarry wrote:

Citizen wrote:

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Good one LW.


MM Trifecta!!................

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Quadfecta....if that is even a word...