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The Fourth Amendment and open carry of guns (where such open carry is legal)
Washington Post/The Volokh Conspiracy ^ | May 13 at 2:41 PM | Eugene Volokh

Posted on 05/14/2015 6:13:37 AM PDT by OK Sun

From the Sixth Circuit federal court of appeals decision today in Northrup v. Toledo Police Dept.:

On a midsummer evening, Shawn and Denise Northrup went for a neighborhood walk with their daughter, grandson, and dog. Apparently in a happy-go-lucky mood, Shawn wore a t-shirt reading, “This Is The Shirt I Wear When I Don’t Care.” Shawn carried a cell phone, which he holstered on his hip — next to a black semiautomatic handgun.

A passing motorcyclist stopped to complain about Shawn’s visible firearm. The stranger, Alan Rose, yelled, “[Y]ou can’t walk around with a gun like that!” But “[O]pen carry is legal in Ohio!” Denise responded. As the Northrups walked away, Denise and Rose exchanged increasingly unprintable words until he was out of view (and earshot).

Rose called 911, reporting that “a guy walking down the street” with his dog was “carrying a gun out in the open.”

The police eventually arrived, ordered Northrup to stop, demanded that he turn over the gun, handcuffed him, and kept him handcuffed in a police car for 30 minutes. Eventually, they let him go, and all charges were dropped. Northrup sued, and the Sixth Circuit allowed the case to go forward:

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; US: Ohio
KEYWORDS: banglist; fourthamendment; gunrights
"But to coercively stop a person — and certainly to handcuff the person, which is what happened in this case — the police do have to have such reasonable suspicion. And if all they see is someone openly carrying a gun in a state in which such open carry is legal, the Fourth Amendment prevents them from “search[ing]” or “seiz[ing]” that person."
1 posted on 05/14/2015 6:13:37 AM PDT by OK Sun
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To: OK Sun

Good. Now she the cops personally for deprivation of rights under false color of authority. Agitate to get them charged criminal under federal statutes as well.

L


2 posted on 05/14/2015 6:18:53 AM PDT by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: Lurker

Not to mention the motorcyclist.


3 posted on 05/14/2015 6:30:00 AM PDT by moovova
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To: OK Sun

Colorado is an open carry state. Very common outside the big cities. Denver will jail and prosecute open carriers. Other cities just harass open carriers. What good are laws if the police break them as a matter of routine?


4 posted on 05/14/2015 6:30:07 AM PDT by SpeakerToAnimals (I hope to earn a name in battle)
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To: OK Sun
Denise and Rose exchanged increasingly unprintable words until he was out of view (and earshot).

Denise (the open-carrier's wife) was of course correct in her position. But it is usually best to just state your position, and then leave it as that.

As Billy Joel once said: You should never argue with a crazy mind, you ought-a know by now.

5 posted on 05/14/2015 6:33:18 AM PDT by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
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To: OK Sun

Hopefully he will reach an “understanding”, if not a legal agreement, with the Toledo police that the agitator in this case Mr. Rose, be cited for “disturbing the peace”.

It is important that he does so, because at least one of the anti-gun groups has encouraged its members to do “hue and cries” to police when they see a legally armed person in public, *figuring* that they can get away with this harassment. Getting a big ticket for disturbing the peace would do much to stop them from misusing the police this way.


6 posted on 05/14/2015 7:41:21 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy ("Don't compare me to the almighty, compare me to the alternative." -Obama, 09-24-11)
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To: SpeakerToAnimals
Denver will jail and prosecute open carriers.

Because Denver is a "home rule" city, I guess because it is the capitol. My solution? Never go there, never spend money there.

7 posted on 05/14/2015 7:57:43 AM PDT by MileHi (Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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To: OK Sun

We had a case a few years back in Virginia of a man arrested for open carrying in violation of a Norfolk ordinance. The case finally went to the Virginia Supreme Court where it was ruled that Virginia law allows open carry and no municipality can pass or enforce a law that overrides Commonwealth (state) law.


8 posted on 05/14/2015 9:22:09 AM PDT by fredhead (Join the Navy and see the world.....77% of which is covered in water.)
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To: MileHi

Denver sucks. I don’t get the home rule thing overriding state law. Oh well....


9 posted on 05/14/2015 12:10:36 PM PDT by SpeakerToAnimals (I hope to earn a name in battle)
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To: OK Sun

This guy should be paid MILLIONS, and Alan Rose should be under, not in, federal PMITA prison, for accessory to deprivation of civil rights under color of law.


10 posted on 05/14/2015 1:20:18 PM PDT by backwoods-engineer (Blog: www.BackwoodsEngineer.com)
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To: MileHi
Because Denver is a "home rule" city

'Home Rule' is unconstitutional bilge, but Democrats and Republicans both support it. Traitors.

11 posted on 05/14/2015 1:21:18 PM PDT by backwoods-engineer (Blog: www.BackwoodsEngineer.com)
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To: backwoods-engineer; SpeakerToAnimals

I don’t get the home rule thing either.


12 posted on 05/14/2015 2:07:14 PM PDT by MileHi (Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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