Posted on 12/21/2011 12:42:42 PM PST by freespirited
Tea Party Patriots co-founder Mark Meckler was arrested at an airport in New York City on Thursday after he attempted to check-in a locked gun box holding his Glock 27 pistol and ammunition to a Delta Air Lines ticket agent.
According to authorities and his attorney, Meckler, 49, holds a concealed-carry permit for the Glock 27 pistol at home in California, but not in New York where he was attempting to board the plane. As a result, he was arrested and charged with a felony.
“Before leaving home, passengers should acquaint themselves with the weapon laws of the jurisdiction that they are visiting and comply with any and all legal requirements if they choose to travel with a weapon,” Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said.
“Otherwise, they may find themselves being arrested and charged with a felony – as is what occurred in this case,” he said.
Attorney Brian Stapleton of Goldberg, Segalla, LLP said Meckler was only attempting to follow TSA rules for checking in a firearm when he was arrested.
“While in temporary transit through the state of New York in possession of an unloaded, lawful firearm that was locked in a TSA-approved safe, he legally declared his possession of the firearm in his checked baggage at the ticket counter as required by law and in a manner approved by TSA and the airline, yet was arrested by port authority for said possession,” Stapleton said.
Meckler was arraigned Thursday in Queens Criminal Court and charged with second degree criminal possession of a weapon, a Class C felony.
Meckler was released Thursday. He has a court date set for Jan. 12, 2012.
Brown said Meckler, a well-known person in the tea party movement, told authorities he keeps the pistol with him because he gets threats.
Blatantly unconstitutional.
The charges will be dropped............
Amendment II
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
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I wonder what part of that do they not get
?..............
Good advice, I intend to take it!
Lawful means lawful. Period.
Or so it should.
Where the hell is the NRA? This is tantamount to someone forcibly placing duct tape over his mouth.
The 2A is absolute.
I used to travel to NYC, especially during Christmas. Now I feel that any city or state which does not uphold the 2A (or in fact undermines it) does not deserve one red cent of mine.
Yeah, but do you have a CCW for that rifle in that case in your trunk? Hmmmmm?
Just pointing out an inconsistency.
However strange it might sound, transportation of firearms in vehicles is legally different from carrying them on your body, within reach. Unloaded rifles in the trunk, locked and secured in cases, are not within reach. However if you carry them loaded (even a detached magazine with one round will do!) you'd be committing a crime (or not, depending on what you read, Fish & Game Code or Penal Code.)
There is also another legal distinction; long rifles can't be concealed by definition, so no CCW is required. And once I arrive at the hunting area another exception - specially for hunters - allows me to carry loaded firearms, concealed or not. However since I hunt on private property this is not even required; I usually have a rifle and a handgun with me. Hunting with a handgun is perfectly legal.
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