How Sean Penn got gun permit

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 4-30-2003 | Matier and Ross

[Cagey]

So why was actor Sean Penn toting a loaded 9mm Glock handgun and unloaded .38-caliber Smith & Wesson in the trunk of a car that wound up being stolen?

Fear that an ex-employee of Penn's was stalking him, according to confidential documents he submitted to the Ross Police Department as part of his application for a concealed-weapons permit back in 2001.

[Cagey]

Readers Digest Version...." How did Penn get a gun permit? He's a Hollywood Celebrity."

[Cagey]

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMITS IN CALIFORNIA

Number of permits issued by police and sheriff agencies among selected
counties in 2000
Kern 3,566
Shasta 2,972
Fresno 2,178
San Bernardino 2,084
Los Angeles 874
San Joaquin 491
Contra Costa 208
San Mateo 204
Alameda 150
Santa Clara 132
Sonoma 131
Solano 77
Marin 44
San Francisco 8
Source: California Attorney General's Office
Chronicle Graphic

[Travis McGee]

Most notable of those with a "real need" is state senator and gun control advocate Don Perata, who has had one for years because of reported threats against him.

Is there any worse example of hypocrisy than this?

[FreedomPoster]

All animals are equal at the Animal Farm, but some are more equal than others.

[dead]

"I have some good friends who are law-abiding, but they also have hair- trigger tempers," Plummer said.

I wonder if those “good friends” of Sheriff Charlie Plummer would like the ability to arbitrarily pass judgement on his right to exercise his constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms?

I bet they’d like to deny him his free speech rights by breaking his jaw.

[goldstategop]

Rural counties are more conservative than the urban liberal counties. And there tends to be a more friendly attitude towards guns in the former than in the latter. Getting a CCW permit in California is a function of what county you reside in. Good luck getting one in San Francisco, Oakland, or Los Angeles Counties.

[Kadric]

"So, the DOJ restored his rights while they drag their feet and say their is no funding to process applications of the many others who have applied for restoration?"

This one has never made sense to me. If you lack funds or In this case Congress states that you may not use funds allotted to you for a certain activity. The simple answer is to require the person requesting the service to pay the costs.

[Joe Brower]

Hey, Trav, it's like "Joe Whitey" posted above (love that name, by the way $;-):

"One set of laws for the elite, another set of laws for the commoners."

It's just that simple, as the sooner us scum understands, the better off everyone will be. </ sarcasm>

[TLI]

If you lack funds or In this case Congress states that you may not use funds allotted to you for a certain activity. The simple answer is to require the person requesting the service to pay the costs.

Excellent idea, but how much is the cost?   I seem to remember it is something like 300.00 to $400.00 dollars to process the app.  With today's technology, it should be much less, probably half that.

[Kadric]

300.00-400.00 is not even the cost of a good hunting rifle. And it is a lot cheaper than the cost of either a lawyer or prison if you are caught as a felon in possession. While I don't care for just about any gunlaws, another approach could be even a limit restoration or permit that allows only certain types such as Rifles and Shotguns only.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

That's right, Piggy.

[mvpel]

See http://www.equalccw.com/ for more sordid details about the California CCW situation. The town, population 2,100, where Penn got his permit has issued only two.

[mvpel]

See also http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=247765 for Jim March's research on Sean Penn's permit.

[SpinyNorman]

If you really want a gun, head on down to wide-open Kern County, where officials issued an eye-popping 3,566 concealed-weapons permits in 2000.

Shasta County at the north end of the state wasn't far behind, with 2,972. Authorities there tell us they pretty much issue a permit to any "law-abiding citizen" who's been in the county for a year, passes a basic background check and takes a gun safety course.

I wonder how many of those permitted gun owners were involved in gun related crimes since receiving their permits? Not many, I would wager.

An "articulable" need could probably only be made after the fact, and you can't articulate well at room temp in a body bag.

[fourdeuce82d]

loaded 9mm Glock handgun and unloaded .38-caliber Smith & Wesson
in the trunk

"Gee- it my crazy ex employee- guess I better stop the car, get out, walk back to the trunk, and get my weapon."

Idiot.

[Squantos]

Ahhhh Kalifornicatin polidiots and LEO's...........the ass kissing egg suckin dogs that tied a sheep shank in the laws to placate this little POS !

Stay Safe !

[justshutupandtakeit]

Now who was in charge when Penn got this favored treatment?

[TxPilot]

One other thing. Plummer said he requires every applicant to see "a psychiatrist of my choosing -- and they pay for it."

You think there might be a little kickback action going on here?

[Travis McGee]

I wonder how many of the cops on Sheriff Plummer's SWAT team have "hair-trigger tempers", and loaded MP5s in their cruisers?

[mvpel]

If Plummer is speaking correctly in this case, he's violating the law - the CCW law requires that the applicant be referred to the same psychaitrist used by the department for screening of their own personnell.

[Uncle Hal]

On radio station KSFO, Melanie Morgan said, the real reason Sean Penn got a carry permit is because when they moved to Ross in Marin County, the Penn's gave a large amount of money to the Ross PD. Ross is a small but very affluent town. My guess is the average house sells for a million dollars plus.

[archy]

For example, only 44 permits were issued in Marin in 2000, the most recent year for which records are available, according to the state attorney general's office. In San Francisco, there were just eight -- the fewest in the state. ...

If you really want a gun, head on down to wide-open Kern County, where officials issued an eye-popping 3,566 concealed-weapons permits in 2000.

I know one California trauma surgeon who got his California CCH permit approved after repeated denials after he pointed out that any police officers shot or otherwise seriously injured in the line of duty [or otherwise, as by enraged husbands] would likely be on his operating table, and he'd consider such exhibitions of police respect for his life while deciding whether or not to continue extraordinary efforts to save critically wounded cops. To date, he's had a few who were traffic accident victims and one range accident victim shot by a fellow cop, but he expects to be relocating to another state where English is the primary language anyway.

-archy-/-

[archy]

loaded 9mm Glock handgun and unloaded .38-caliber Smith & Wesson in the trunk

"Gee- it my crazy ex employee- guess I better stop the car, get out, walk back to the trunk, and get my weapon."

Idiot.

Not so, that's actually one aspect of the story that makes sense, and I bet it was a cop who suggested it to Penn.

Should he ever have to use his usual carry piece, presumably the loaded Glock, he'd have to surrender it to the shooting investigators and would thereby be unarmed until they finish with it, which could be weeks...and by having a spare convenient, he'd at least not be a suddenly unequipped easy target.

It's possible too that his S&W was a smaller J-frame Chief's Special or Bodyguard, a little easier to conceal than some of the larger Glock versions, which wouldn't spoil the cut of his trendy fashions at snob party gatherings and restaurant appearances. But having a backup handgun isn't a bad idea at all, though letting it be stolen certainly is.

-archy-/-

[Doctor Stochastic]

I guess Penn won't be hunding deer on his own property either.

[adx]

It's just that simple, as the sooner us scum understands, the better off everyone will be. </ sarcasm>

That's why I make use of the </caste system> tag. We may as well just acknowledge what we have, a caste system in America.

[dead]

Thems gubmint men. They can be as crazy and armed as they please.

It's just us citizens that are subject to Sheriff Charlie's arbitrary anger mananagement evaluation.

[hot august night]

Another example of maddening hypocrisy: Rudy Guiliani has a concealed-carry permit as well, although, as Mayor, he was adamantly (and still is) against ANY law-abiding person owning a gun -- even in the confines of their own home. Try getting a gun permit in NYC; it is impossible like in Washington D.C.

Meanwhile, all the while Mayor Rudy had a concealed-carry permit, and taxpayer-funded security for himself and his mistress at her separate residence, he declared NYC as a "safe haven" for illegal aliens.

I'm sure that brings a lot of comfort to that poor woman in Queens who was brutally raped and beaten last Christmas by a gang of illegal Mexican thugs...

[45Auto]

Plummer said he requires every applicant to see "a psychiatrist of my choosing -- and they pay for it."

Arbitrary application of unconstitutional law. Plummer should be arrested and tried in federal court for deliberate denial of Constitutional rights.

[goldstategop]

Most law abiding people in L.A and New York City just carry a piece in the knowledge if they're caught they could be charged with a felony. But if you live in a dangerous area or your work involves substantial exposure to danger, you figure that your life's worth more than some stupid law.

[tophat9000]

loaded 9mm Glock handgun

I would love to know if it had the "illegal" hi-cap mag too. (I bet it did)

[45Auto]

Now who was in charge when Penn got this favored treatment?

I assume that is sarcasm. The only way Penn got his carry permit, considering his record, was by kissing the a** of that other gun-grabbing criminal miscreant, the dishonorable AG of California, Bill (I Hate Your Guns) Lockyer. This whole sordid affair reeks of hypocrisy. As Jim March has pointed out, there is enough evidence of not only malfeasence of office in many of these counties' Sheriff Departments, but there is enough evidence of deliberate denial of Constitutional rights by those who swore an oath to uphold that venerable document, not only under the 2nd, but also under the 14th's "equal protection" clause. Of course, its a whole lot easier for AG Ashcroft to mumble something about how he supports the Constitution and the RKBA, and its something else to actually do anything about those officials who break the law.

This is just another example of why the average citizen's respect for the law is at an all-time low.

[hot august night]

Try walking around Manhattan wearing an NRA cap sometime...you will get A LOT of dirty looks...

[gridlock]

Then, earlier this month, someone stole Penn's car with the guns inside while Penn was at a Berkeley restaurant. The car was recovered -- but the guns are still out there.

This article does not point out that Penn's car was parked in a Gun Free School Zone, a block from UC Berkeley and two blocks from Berkeley High School. I guess being a Hollywood big-shot gets you out of that beef, too.

[Southack]

"For example, only 44 permits were issued in Marin in 2000, the most recent year for which records are available, according to the state attorney general's office. In San Francisco, there were just eight -- the fewest in the state.

San Francisco's liberal Sheriff Michael Hennessey simply refuses to grant permits. And acting Police Chief Alex Fagan says, "I just don't give them unless there is an articulable need."

If you really want a gun, head on down to wide-open Kern County, where officials issued an eye-popping 3,566 concealed-weapons permits in 2000."

Gee, let's look at the crime corelation here. The counties with the HIGHEST crime rates in California issue the fewest permits, and the counties with the LOWEST crime rates issue the most.

No therein is logic that will fly over the head of every liberal whom you ever have the displeasure of meeting...

[razorback-bert]

This article really shows the lack of respect for the middle class.

[Travis McGee]

To put it mildly.

[fourdeuce82d]

toting a loaded 9mm Glock handgun and unloaded .38-caliber Smith & Wesson in the trunk of a car

I read that to suggest both weapons were in the trunk, where they would have been inacessible.

Your point re: a backup is valid- I often carry a little Airweight to backup my kimber- don't think I'll need either, but the airweight is pretty light, so why not.

If in fact he is sufficiently fearful for his life that he got the permit, and if in fact he left the guns in the trunk on a regular basis, it would appear he's relying on the "lucky rabbit's foot" theory of handgun self-defense, and not being very serious.

[waterstraat]

Bump ccw.

[CARepubGal]

Pretty idiotic is the Nanny state. How is the job market in Texas? ;)

[Katya]

It's such an inane argument....do they let guys with hair trigger tempers operate automobiles? Of course, because driving is a privilege not a right.

[Squantos]

It's gone nuclear here :o)...........Freep-mail !

[TLI]

While I don't care for just about any gunlaws, another approach could be even a limit restoration or permit that allows only certain types such as Rifles and Shotguns only.

While I abhor the mere thought of giving up my .45, logic would dictate that individuals faced with such a choice MIGHT be willing to concede to such a restriction for a trial period, say.. two years.  Then....  unrestricted access.

In the meantime.... let's see... A pre-ban Colt lightweight SP-1 Sporter with 30 rnd mags (pre-ban, of course) topped off with a Trijicon ACOG 4x32 Scope with Yellow Center Illumination and Dust Cover. That ought to cover the immediate needs of day to day self-defense.  A guy would be PROUD to open carry such a rig.

OOPS!  Did I say OPEN CARRY?  Why, some light in the loafers corporate TQM / 6SIGMA / FISH "expert" team manager might wet his panties or be offended is some obscure manor causing him "stress" resulting in several days diarrhea and 6 more months of counseling because he glimpsed a reflection of it in the back of my car.

I grow weary of the glut of laws that will soon require proficiency in downing a fully armed Mig-29 with a Raven .25 while blistering along on a Wham-o pogo stick in order to obtain the application to a psyche evaluation on fitness to be interviewed by a tribunal of South American Communists in order to obtain the signature paperwork required for starting a 1 year waiting period to be deemed fit to (occasionally) posses a concealed handgun.  Time to take another look at the open carry option.

[Kadric]

About the only gun laws I agree with deal with restrictions on sales to minors or those found incompetent by a court of law. In which case the guardian of said person should not be restricted from providing them with said item if they feel comfortable with them having it, since by law they are responsible for their actions.

[KSoldier]

Interestingly enough, since Penn’s 2 stolen guns were the only ones authorized on his permit - it is illegal for him to carry anything else.

I wonder how easy it was for him to get an ammended permit.

[Squantos]

Chapita and Harpseal have passed away since this thread was posted in 03 Ksoldier.........Penn is no doubt now as he was then getting celebrity treatment.

Stay safe !!