So got a couple questions...
I went camping Friday night and portions of Saturday, thats the 4th of july weekend btw.
I was drinking with some "friends" around a campfire, and enjoying the firework display by a different group of campers who was sitting on a concrete bridge, drinking, and firing off rockets and roman candles.
the other group made back for their camp after the fireworks was done, and drunkenly/lazily picked up some of the fireworks.
a couple hours later, some forest rangers pulled up to our campsite, and saw we was drinking beer around a campfire. Having checked us for weapons, they searched our tents, and clothing duffle bags, and such. They had a couple of us who was tipsy, and another who was obviously drunk up against their truck, and gave us a 75$ ticket "drinking an alcoholic beverage on public property", no biggie about the fine, but I'm gonna get to the point.
I mentioned that I have a loaded revolver sitting against a tree, in it's holster, with an empty shell under the hammer, for protection against bears, about fifteen feet away. They grabbed it, politely asked why I had it out; which I told them the truth, again, for protection against bears. One of them walked off with it, the other two just stayed around, asking usual questions.
I found out later that they just unloaded it, and hide the ammo, i dunno where yet, havent found the ammo (unloaded pistol is sorta useless against a bear if I can't find ammo).
Anyway, if you have a pistol, and your drinking beer, you designate a sober person to keep watch on said pistol; when the sober person is declared sober by a forrest ranger, can they still grab it, and keep it in their vehicle until they leave and give it back to that sober person later, as they did?
Also, our vehicles was unlocked, and open windows, they searched one dudes truck, without giving a reason why, despite him being a nurse and we all know he to be the cleanest of us all, and the designated sober person; I thought they needed a warrant to search a vehicle.
Also, a stupid move on the part of one drunken guy, who I only met at the campsite, but anyway, he doesn't have a CCW permit, but kept an empty holster in his car, and the pistol hidden under a jacket by the campfire. When they saw it, they asked who's it was, when I and a couple others told them it was that one dude's, he denied and said it wasn't his.
I know we all got off lucky with just a 75$ fine, I know we could have been ran in for it, but, the rangers said if I pay it, it'll be on my criminal record for three years, that my best bet is to just go to district court and see a judge about it.
If I pay it off, will it still be on my record, since it's a first, I have a spotless record, and really don't want to go to court. Will that ticket affect my ability to get/renew a CCW in the future, or hurt my chances for employment? Is it a felony, misdemeanor, or otherwise?
Sorry for the confusion, but its hard to type when you have -what feels like- a broken hand, after the idiot who hid his weapon slammed his door on my hand for telling the cops the pistol was his.
For the record, that is the first time I drank alcoholic drinks at a campsite, never payed attention to the parking pass, and didn't see any "NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES" signs out there, I know I was wrong, I just need to know about the vehicle search, the temp. seizure of the pistol, and the ticket effects on my record, CCW future, and weather to do the court, or mail it in.
Needless to say, this is the last time I go camping with a bunch of gay city dudes. Any OC/2A camping clubs out east here, that actually doesn't drink at a campsite and don't care about a gay dude at their camps?
Really wish it was Menifee Sheriffs Dept that came out, I know the deputy sheriff, and he would have at least gave warnings, and spared me a ticket, dunno about the dude who was obviously drunk and told the rangers he drove from harrodsburg on expired tags and no license (funny how they overlooked that part, ever after they confirmed it)