School events at parks.

My personal opinion is it boils down to Cops and prosecutors and judges "interpret" which is not their job. We need to fight this type of thinking that there is "leeway" in the law.

The law was intended to be used as a protection for the people against their government not the other way around. And if modern people in the judicial system would stick to our original intended legal system none of these conviction could or should ever be made.

Where's the "mens rea"? Josh's case is a perfect example of how f'd up and tyrannical our system has become. You used to have to prove criminal intent. Ignorance is no excuse is not a justified offense in prosecuting. That is a Benthamite line of thinking which many communistic, socialistic, and autocratic societies subscribe to. This has been brought about by both the "authoritarian" conservative party and the "big government" liberal party.

sudden valley gunner said:

My personal opinion is it boils down to Cops and prosecutors and judges "interpret" which is not their job. We need to fight this type of thinking that there is "leeway" in the law.

The law was intended to be used as a protection for the people against their government not the other way around. And if modern people in the judicial system would stick to our original intended legal system none of these conviction could or should ever be made.

Where's the "mens rea"? Josh's case is a perfect example of how f'd up and tyrannical our system has become. You used to have to prove criminal intent. Ignorance is no excuse is not a justified offense in prosecuting. That is a Benthamite line of thinking which many communistic, socialistic, and autocratic societies subscribe to. This has been brought about by both the "authoritarian" conservative party and the "big government" liberal party.

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+1
If there was a penalty or some kind of recourse for a wrongful accusation, and judgement, they might be more apt to understand and follow the law. Like termination or being disbarred, and losing their seat on the bench.

BigDave said:

Boils down to the definition of exclusive, is it exclusive if the school reserved the park area for an event put on by the school and invited the public.

Definition of EXCLUSIVE
1
a : excluding or having power to exclude
b : limiting or limited to possession, control, or use by a single individual or group

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This is exactly it. There are very few times that schools actually rent places, it is just too expensive for them, but when they do I can assure you that the general public is excluded. Graduations are a good example of time when a facility is used exclusively by a school.

Most field trips, which is more than likely what the OP stumbled across, are at places that are open to the public at the same time. I go every year to the Museum of Flight with a high school NJROTC class and it is certainly OK for anyone not on the field trip to carry a pistol during the time that the students are there. Same would go for the zoo. Schools simply go as a educational group but rarely rent a place exclusively for themselves. One year I drove myself to the zoo to chaperon my sons field trip to the zoo and since I wasn't riding the bus I CC'd. It was certainly lawful but I guarantee I would have been excluded on all future trips.

There was only two trips per kid that was unlawful for me to carry, even if I did drive, and that was at a nature center called Camp Lively that was owned and operated by the school district for nature education of the kids.

Hell you should try and go on a school field trip by school bus to Sub Base Bangor or Naval Whidbey. I would probably get in trouble for even wanting to carry during those two trips. :shocker: