SFCRetired
Regular Member
While my lovely bride was in English class at the Baptist Church this morning, I took advantage of the beautiful weather to walk around the area. On South Court Street, I had a flashback to fifty years ago when I got off the bus from Mobile enroute to the old H&R Point for induction into the Army. The old Greyhound bus station, now the Freedom Riders' Museum.
As I paused to remember those days (the day the Freedom Riders came to Montgomery), a bailiff from the Federal court building accosted me, asked me who I was with, and then proceeded to tell me I could not carry openly.
When I told him that, in fact, it has always been legal in Alabama to open carry and cited Reid vs. State, he then proceeded to tell me I had to have a permit. Mind you, this was all very polite, but I told him that the only time I had to have a permit was if I concealed or if I entered a vehicle and that I did not have one on me (finally learned to carry sterile). Next comment was that I could not carry around a Federal Court House. My comeback was that the Federal Court House had nothing to do with the public sidewalk maintained by the City of Montgomery.
All of this with an armed Security Guard standing there goggle-eyed. I think the good bailiff finally either gave up or realized he was outclassed in knowledge of the law and left.
Oh, yeah; would you believe he never asked me who I am nor for ID?
Gut feeling: He wanted to exercise his "authoritah". Didn't do him any good.
I will be sending an email to whoever handles the bailiffs and the security telling them about the incident and that they need to educate their employees on the law.
As I paused to remember those days (the day the Freedom Riders came to Montgomery), a bailiff from the Federal court building accosted me, asked me who I was with, and then proceeded to tell me I could not carry openly.
When I told him that, in fact, it has always been legal in Alabama to open carry and cited Reid vs. State, he then proceeded to tell me I had to have a permit. Mind you, this was all very polite, but I told him that the only time I had to have a permit was if I concealed or if I entered a vehicle and that I did not have one on me (finally learned to carry sterile). Next comment was that I could not carry around a Federal Court House. My comeback was that the Federal Court House had nothing to do with the public sidewalk maintained by the City of Montgomery.
All of this with an armed Security Guard standing there goggle-eyed. I think the good bailiff finally either gave up or realized he was outclassed in knowledge of the law and left.
Oh, yeah; would you believe he never asked me who I am nor for ID?
Gut feeling: He wanted to exercise his "authoritah". Didn't do him any good.
I will be sending an email to whoever handles the bailiffs and the security telling them about the incident and that they need to educate their employees on the law.