A step backward for new sheriff (Sandra Hutchens of Orange County)

The Orange County Register ^ | June 23, 2008 | Editorial

[EveningStar]

The new sheriff has a big task in front of her in terms of reforming a troubled and mismanaged department rocked by abuse and corruption scandals. Unfortunately, Sandra Hutchens – who was installed as sheriff Thursday in a small ceremony in the clerk's office – is about to take the wrong approach on an issue of serious concern to Orange County residents: gun rights.

[EveningStar]

From the editorial:

Almost every state allows citizens to carry concealed weapons under certain circumstances. But nine states, including California, have what is called a "may-issue" law. That means the authorities may decide to issue a citizen a permit depending on the discretion of the government. In California, residents who want to carry guns ask the county sheriff or city police chief for an application, and then the sheriff or chief has 90 days to make a decision. In "shall-issue" states, the government must issue the permit if the applicant meets some basic standards – such as no criminal record, a firearms training course, etc. The latter promotes freedom, whereas the California system promotes a system of favoritism.

[SoConPubbie]

I’ll bet you’ll find out she is going to be worse than Carona on the Illegals as well.

This was a gender decision only on the part of the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

The other two finalists for the job were males and much more qualified for the job.

[SoConPubbie]

But one area where Sherrif Carona’s policies were sound involved concealed-carry permits. Yes, he granted permits to some political associates and campaign donors. But he also approved more permits than almost any sheriff in the state, according to the Times report. Some sheriffs take a broad view, and others take a narrow view. -—As with all discretionary government policies, one’s freedom is dependent on the subjective views of the government authority-—

Not really.

He is better than most, but it was still dog-gone difficult to get a CCW from him.

I had a friend who figured out what he needed to do to get the permit, but he had to jump through all sorts of hoops to get it.

And he lives in one of the more crime-ridden, gang-ridden areas of the County, Santa Ana.

[EveningStar]

See post 21.

[sport]

We can’t have the serfs and peops running around carrying weapons.

Hell, that may even think that they are free.

[Jo Nuvark]

I have always liked Carona. I liked the way he used the Homeland Security money after 9/11 to actually ... er ... secure Orange County.

He is hated by the illegals and the gangs so I can’t help but think that he has been set up. I pray that he will be acquitted. Of course if he is found not to be guilty of corruption, we will never hear of it in the news and Mike’s life will have been ruined in any case.

[Travis McGee]

[PubliusMM]

“The important thing to me is they need to have demonstrated a need,” Ms. Hutchens told the newspaper.

I guess the US Constitution is not applicable in the People’s Republic of Orange County...

[EveningStar]

It’s the state that grants her discretion. See post 21.

[Joe Boucher]

An honest yet amusing mistake.
Thanks for pointing it out.
Stick around, I’ll make more mistakes in the near future.
:-)

[Impy]

Be she rino or rat?

[Nice50BMG]

This state restricted open carry laws as well (signed, sadly by Ronald Reagan), when the Black Panther Party marched on Sacramento with LEGALLY loaded rifles and shotguns.

The RACIST legislature didn’t like black people carrying guns and so they stripped the legal right to carry from the entirety of Californians.

So in California, you can’t carry concealed, and in most cases can’t open carry unless you’re unloaded (what’s the point? You might as well carry a bag of wrenches to throw at an attacker).

There are no gun rights in this state. The 2nd Amendment has been suspended here.

[Impy]

I remember when Howard Dean said it’s ok to have guns in Vermont (white) but not Detroit (black).

[The Hollywood Conservative]

Hi Guys.... Its been a while since Ive posted here, and although Im still TheHollywoodConservative, I no longer live in Hollywood.... I live in Orange County.... One of the reasons I moved there was precisely because of the CCW policy down here.... And when I got here I found I wasn’t alone... Which is why the new Sheriff’s policies are so troublesome.

Anyways. We are organizing together to keep Orange County FREE, and PRO CCW, and not “Los Angeles South”, and we could use all the help we can get.

We have formed a political action committee to fight this, and in the wake of the Heller decision we think we’ve got a chance at winning with enough support...