Posted on 03/20/2012 7:00:02 PM PDT by marktwain
A civil rights group wants the state to suspend the concealed carry permit of George Zimmerman as investigators probe the shooting death of black teenager Trayvon Martin.
But Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, whose agency oversees concealed weapons permits, said he can't do anything without pending criminal charges or a felony conviction. In Florida, felons are not allowed to carry concealed weapons without restoration of their civil rights and firearm authority.
State law also prevents Putnam's agency from identifying people who have applied for or received a permit, so he can't specifically talk about Zimmerman as a permit holder.
"My office is legally bound to fiercely protect the privacy of concealed weapon permit holders," Putnam said Tuesday when asked about the group's demand. "There are specific legal triggers that result in suspension or revocation."
The Florida Civil Rights Association has planned a Wednesday protest at the department's regional licensing office in Orlando anyway.
"The public believes that Mr. Zimmerman is not fit to maintain his license because he has demonstrated to be a clear threat to public safety," the group's president, J. Willie David III, said in a statement.
No one from the group has responded to emails and phone calls for comment.
Zimmerman told police in Sanford that he shot Martin, who died with a bullet wound to his chest, in self-defense, a key part of Florida's seven-year-old "Stand Your Ground" law. Zimmerman's call to 911 dispatcher, released last week, suggests he pursued Martin even though the dispatcher told him not to, spurring increased national outrage over the Feb. 26 incident. Martin was carrying a bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea.
Putnam spokesman Sterling Ivey said it is not common for complaints to be filed against concealed carry weapons permit holders. Once a complaint is filed it is investigated by the licensing division and, if needed, the department's law enforcement arm.
Here's what state law says about suspending or revoking a permit holder's license:
The department shall revoke a license if the licensee has been found guilty of, had adjudication of guilt withheld for, or had imposition of sentence suspended for one or more crimes of violence within the preceding three years.
The department shall suspend a license if the licensee is arrested or formally charged with a felony. The suspension will last until the case is over.
The department shall suspend a license if the licensee is issued an injunction that restrains him or her from committing acts of domestic violence or acts of repeat violence.
Other grounds for suspension/revocation include sustaining a physicial disability that makes handling a weapon safely impossible and being committed to a mental institution.
Fl used to have a guy name Charles Bronson as the commissioner who regulated the price of gas, might have been the same department.
Knew Adam Putnam when we were teens in Bartow; he was a bit younger than I, but you could already tell he was a atraight shooter. His holding to protect the privacy of the permit holders sounds just like him. Hope he runs for higher office.
Is there more to this story?
Seems the libs are using this to attack Florida’s self defense laws, to attack the 2nd amendment, and to generate racial conflict in a pretty disgusting way.
I don’t understand why this shooter hasn’t been charged. The articles all make it sound like you can’t be charged now in Florida if you just shoot somebody and then claim they attacked you. Very unlikely.
Next, the shooter is hispanic and they are saying the case has “obvious” racial aspects. I don’t see any except the races of the participants, both being minorities.
In this situation it is Blacks vs. Hispanic. the media has come down solidly on the side of the Black kid.
It is clear that Whitey is at the bottom of the totem pole and Black is the bees knees of victim-hood but how do Hispanic and Asian rate on the victim-hood scale?
“Fl used to have a guy name Charles Bronson as the commissioner who regulated the price of gas, might have been the same department.”
http://www.usacarry.com/concealed-carry-permit-examples.html/florida-3/
This guy? I was scared that my permit would have the same
name and someone would think it was a gag.
Seems to me the media is so desperate for “racial” incidents that it will jump at any opportunity.
I don’t understand this story, it certainly sounds like one self appointed wacky vigilante caused an unnecessary tragedy. Did the guy have any justification to suspect this kid of anything?
“Fl used to have a guy name Charles Bronson as the commissioner who regulated the price of gas, might have been the same department.”
http://www.usacarry.com/concealed-carry-permit-examples.html/florida-3/
This guy? I was scared that my permit would have the same
name and someone would think it was a gag.
The neighbors called in to 911 that the two were physically fighting. That might be a good enough excuse to use a gun to stop a fight. What say you?
Seems to me the media is so desperate for “racial” incidents that it will jump at any opportunity.
I don’t understand this story, it certainly sounds like one self appointed wacky vigilante caused an unnecessary tragedy. Did the guy have any justification to suspect this kid of anything?
Has the coroner released any information about the shooting yet?
They were physically fighting because Mr. Zimmerman had initiated a confrontation. Let’s say you and I are at a bar, and you say something I don’t like and I throw a punch at you, a fight ensues and you get the advantage. Should I then be able to pull out my firearm, blow you away and then claim self defense?
Generally speaking I’m firmly on the side of those who exercise their Second Amendment rights, but not this time. Mr. Zimmerman clearly lacks the sort of common sense and good judgement that ought to be expected out of a responsible owner of a firearm, and I believe that revoking his concealed carry permit is quite reasonable, given the situation and provided that he is afforded due process.
“No one from the group has responded to emails and phone calls for comment. “
Their corporate lawyer must be familiar with slander and libel law.
Yep
Death Wish IV
Sanford, Fl.
Stand your ground law. If he was felt threatened, then he can shoot, that’s why he isn’t arrested, and that’s why the media trying to manufacture race riots out of it.
The fact that a guy is kicking your ass isn't going to be good justification for shooting him to death if you instigated the confrontation. It appears that mr cop wanabee may have done just that. Him out weighing the dead kid by 100 lbs or so doesn't help his case either.
No. He hasn't been arrested because the investigators can't disprove his suspicious account of what took place, at least yet. The fact that the only other eye witness is dead doesn't help.
I understand but stand your ground can’t mean you can shoot anyone you have a fight with.
Ever since Obama’s election, we have become more post racial than ever before.
According to the latest annual report on murder in this country by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, most inter-racial murders involve black assailants and white victims with blacks murdering whites at 18 times the rate that whites murder blacks- I wonder how many of the families of those tens of thousands of white victims were accorded the opportunity to have their crimes investigated by the Dept of Justice?
BTW:the statistics on inter-racial rape and assault are even worst than those for murders but this is considered something the MSM feels should not be divulged.
So you think this 28 year old was purposely gunning for black kids?
For fun or something?
You realize what’s about to happen to his life?
≤}B^)
We all know the answer to that question already. This "Florida Civil Rights Association" is nothing more than your run-of-the-mill leftist pack pushing their agenda of racial grievance and Marxist ideology under the usual happy-crap doublespeak of "social justice".
This will make it a little more difficult for the klan with the tan wannabe lynchers.
I think he went looking for trouble and he found it. What happens to him now is his own doing.
They aren't going to believe anything but what they want to believe.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
...the shooter is hispanic and they are saying the case has “obvious” racial aspects. I don’t see any except the races of the participants, both being minorities.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The press has ONE enemy. And only one. That enemy is any conservative. If you go to the link - you’ll see journalists talking to each other when they think only fellow journalists are in the room. To say ‘dripping with contempt’ would be an understatement. They hate us. One man has done consulting work for the New York Times - the other man is a journalism professor.
They didn’t know a conservative was in the room taping the conversation. This will make it all clear...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBFOmUXR080
From what I understand, he went looking for criminals in his neighborhood.
Do you have evidence that he did otherwise?
You’re right, ‘most inter-racial murders involve black assailants and white victims with blacks murdering whites at 18 times the rate that whites murder blacks’... but the MSM doesn’t care. If you follow the link - you’ll see why - in their own words.
The press has ONE enemy. And only one. That enemy is any conservative. If you go to the link - you’ll see journalists talking to each other when they think only fellow journalists are in the room. To say ‘dripping with contempt’ would be an understatement. They hate us. One man has done consulting work for the New York Times - the other man is a journalism professor.
They didn’t know a conservative was in the room taping the conversation. This will make it all clear...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBFOmUXR080
No, I do not consider it a win at this time, and you do not have the precise details of what occurred.
Why should I believe this man wanted to, sought to kill, and meant to kill a kid on the phone doing nothing else whatsoever?
Why should I believe that? Where is the proof of his intent?
I have always found it suspect that all civil rights are restored by an application, (jury service, voting, holding certain positions), however the second amendment has a totally seperate and distinct path to restoration.
Here are some facts that just developed.
ABC radio news just reported @ 1:00 pm cst that “George Zimmerman was stalking the boy and that he muttered something under his breath which many believe was a racial slur.”
Who reported that to authorities? Who heard Zimmerman mutter anything much less a racial slur? Am I to believe that the girl on the phone heard Zimmerman stalking and muttering racial slurs?
What is going on here is that the US media is trying to spark a race riot.
I couldn’t care less about the media or race debate. I just want to know how a 17 YO ended up dead. The rest is BS to me.
I understand that, and I also understand a few other things.
1. He’s dead because something occured between him and Zimmerman, and the details aren’t clear.
2. Police did not arrest him. Stand Your Ground DOES NOT allow for murder. There is a reason he wasn’t and still isn’t.
3. The US media is trying to take advanatge of the lack of details and whip people into race riots.
Now I have my own questions I’d like answered.
1. I’ve heard that he went to buy candy. Why was he in a gated community?
2. If he was in a gated community, who let him past the gate?
3. Does he have family in the gated community?
4. His family’s lawyer said he ducked into a condo to take shelter form the rain. Was he trespassing? Did he break in?
5. Why was he wearing a hoody? People in places where they don’t belong wearing hoods arouse suspicion. I have seen black people in my own neighborhood that don’t live here wearing hoods on HOT days, and by God I was suspicious of them. If that makes me a racist then so be it.
1a Obviously. What actually transpired is what is in dispute. I already said what I suspect and time will tell if I am correct or not.
2a This case has absolutely nothing to do with stand your ground although the media and opponents of the legislation would like otherwise. The police have not charged the shooter because there has been no evidence to date to dispute his account of the shooting. The police have made that clear from day one and they have also said if such evidence is uncovered they will charge him. Obviously that is made much harder given the only other witness is now dead.
3A. Agreed. This is to be expected. The "news" is based on their own agenda, as usual and is best ignored or taken with a grain of salt.
1B,2B,3B I believe early finding was that he was there to visit father although not certain of that.
If you see something in your neighborhood that arouses suspicion you can always report it to the police. I wouldn't take it upon myself to challenge the suspicious one or engage him unless someone was at risk of imminent injury. Until we know otherwise, the dead guy had every right to be where he was and we already know the shooter went out of his way, against the request of the 911 operator, ending in a confrontation. My own belief is he actually went out of his way to instigate a confrontation but we shall see. If it turns out he did, that should not sit well with anyone.
I'll go out on a limb here.
As the Sanford police have stated, they already did their investigation and didn't find anything to charge Zimmerman with.
Well, that is good news.
Until Zimmerman is arrested for a crime, he should be able keep his CCW and his weapons.
Great question.
Zimmerman gave directions to the dispatcher that did not include stopping at the gate, so its doubtful there is actually a blocked entrance with a guardhouse in this 'gated community', more like a facade with gates attached.
Possibly, but I don’t think police have to stop at gates or deal with gate guards before they can pass in an emergency situation.
Bad things happen to black people, in most cases it has nothing to do with racism....but that never stops the race-hustling opportunists.
Definitely agree with all you’ve said.
I don’t like all this rush to judgement I’m seeing in general. We lack details at this time, however police do not lack details, and Zimmerman remains free at this time.
gulty/or not guilty it no longer matters, the anti-second amendendment goons are out in force demanding change in the law.
Facts don’t matter all that matters is taking away the rights of citizens.
Definitely agree, furthermore I believe CNN is purposely trying to spark riots over this.
Earlier today on my local florida news it was reported that “the black community is about to ignite”.
My position is this. If the circumstances and evidence is as clear cut as other posters are trying to make it out to be, then why is FL. law engorcement letting a murderer walk around?
Clearly, there is something else here that is not being reported that is the cause of Zimmerman not being charged with murder, and I want to know what it is.
I keep seeing people say the kid was visiting his dad. If that is the case, then why isn’t it being reported that he was killed in his own neighborhood? Why wasn’t he recognized as a family member of someone who lives in the neighborhood?
If this is a neighborhood the boy frequents as a result of his dad living there, then he should know about neighborhood watch, and perhaps he would think better of walking around with a hood on his head, because doing so can draw suspicion.
// The press has ONE enemy. And only one. That enemy is any conservative. If you go to the link - you’ll see journalists talking to each other when they think only fellow journalists are in the room. To say ‘dripping with contempt’ would be an understatement. They hate us. One man has done consulting work for the New York Times - the other man is a journalism professor.
They didn’t know a conservative was in the room taping the conversation. This will make it all clear...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBFOmUXR080 //
>> Thanks for posting that awesome link. More need to see it.
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