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Bond set for Akron councilman on gun charge
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AKRON Akron’s city council president will go to trial on a concealed weapon charge.
Marco Sommerville appeared Monday in Barberton Municipal Court. He was released on a signature bond. Another court hearing was set for Nov. 28.
Security at Akron-Canton Airport found a loaded handgun in a bag Sommerville wanted to carry onto a plane Nov. 12. The .38-caliber gun was confiscated.
Sommerville then was allowed to make his flight to New Orleans for a National League of Cities conference.
Sommerville turned down an offer to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor in return for a guilty plea, saying he didn’t knowingly carry the weapon.
He says he forgot the gun was in his bag when he left late for the airport last week.
Defense lawyer Bob Meeker says he hopes a jury will agree Sommerville is believable.
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=387417&categoryID=9
I have mixed feelings on this one. Obviously, it is against the law to carry a loaded gun into an airport. If he did it, he is guilty. That's the law, and it has to be enforced. True, it was stupid to forget a loaded gun inhis bag. But if all gun ownerswere honest with themselves, we each are capable of making the some mistake. All it takes is being careless one time, and any one of us could be in the same situation. I really wish there was a way for an honest law abiding citizen to not be punished for unintentionally committing a crime with a firearm such as this. But maybe that's not practical. Oh, and one other thing...what are the odds he was taking a gun with him because he was headed to New Orleans? :idea: (gun confiscation center and crime hotspot of the USA)
Edit: I wrote "...intententionally committing a crime..." Not what I meant! :lol:
Bond set for Akron councilman on gun charge
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AKRON Akron’s city council president will go to trial on a concealed weapon charge.
Marco Sommerville appeared Monday in Barberton Municipal Court. He was released on a signature bond. Another court hearing was set for Nov. 28.
Security at Akron-Canton Airport found a loaded handgun in a bag Sommerville wanted to carry onto a plane Nov. 12. The .38-caliber gun was confiscated.
Sommerville then was allowed to make his flight to New Orleans for a National League of Cities conference.
Sommerville turned down an offer to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor in return for a guilty plea, saying he didn’t knowingly carry the weapon.
He says he forgot the gun was in his bag when he left late for the airport last week.
Defense lawyer Bob Meeker says he hopes a jury will agree Sommerville is believable.
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=387417&categoryID=9
I have mixed feelings on this one. Obviously, it is against the law to carry a loaded gun into an airport. If he did it, he is guilty. That's the law, and it has to be enforced. True, it was stupid to forget a loaded gun inhis bag. But if all gun ownerswere honest with themselves, we each are capable of making the some mistake. All it takes is being careless one time, and any one of us could be in the same situation. I really wish there was a way for an honest law abiding citizen to not be punished for unintentionally committing a crime with a firearm such as this. But maybe that's not practical. Oh, and one other thing...what are the odds he was taking a gun with him because he was headed to New Orleans? :idea: (gun confiscation center and crime hotspot of the USA)
Edit: I wrote "...intententionally committing a crime..." Not what I meant! :lol: