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A judge threw out the concealed carry charge against a driver at the center of a controversial traffic stop. After city prosecutors finished their case Wednesday afternoon, Municipal Court Judge Stephen Belden granted the defense motion to dismiss the most serious charge against William Bartlett of Brewster, arguing there was not enough evidence to continue the trial.

A Central Illinois state legislator has filed a bill in the House of Representatives that would allow the issue of concealed carry of a firearm to be decided on a county-by-county basis. Rep. Bill Mitchell, a Republican from Decatur, filed House Bill 3794, on June 22. The bill is based on a statewide measure that is stalled in the House.

L egislation to allow people with concealed h andgun licenses to carry guns into college classrooms has hit a roadblock. The measure had been attached to a fiscal matters bill in the Senate. But when the bill was taken up in the House, Democratic state Rep. Mike Villarreal made a parliamentary objection. The San Antonio lawmaker pointed out that the Texas Constitution bars any bill from taking up two different subjects. Since the bill was a fiscal matter, it could not include the gun legislation. The House parliamentarian agreed, and now the bill goes back to t he Senate where...

If you say Utah, to an avid gun lover, you are likely to get feedback about the state's concealed firearm permit. It's one of the most popular, and to some, controversial from coast to coast. Collins says Utah being a great place for guns is a universal view by both people who approve and disapprove of the reputation

Wildlife officials have killed a grizzly bear in Wyoming and a grizzly bear in Montana to head-off potential lawsuits. The Montana grizzly killed and partially consumed Kevin Kammer at a Gallatin National Forest campground near Cooke City, Mont. on July 29. The Wyoming grizzly killed 70 year-old botanist Erwin Evert on June 17 on the Shoshone National Forest near the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The circumstances were quite different, but the decision to kill the bears was undoubtedly influenced by a 1996 court case over the terrible bear mauling of 16 year-old Anna Knochel at a U.S. Forest...

When it comes to packing heat, the I-Team found Texas lawmakers to be at least ten times more likely to have a concealed handgun license than the average Texas adult. "I've had my concealed carry license for several years," said Senator Kel Seliger. Senator Seliger is one of the nearly 20% of state lawmakers who told the I-Team they have an active concealed license. However, when asked if he carries to work, he said he prefers to keep that to himself. "I wouldn't care to answer, said Senator Seliger. “That's the beauty of the concealed carry license. You know I...

HURST — After going to court to stage an "empty holster" protest, Tarrant County College student John Schwertz was getting a cool reception from most students and faculty members on the Northeast Campus. "It has been mostly negative, but most have been willing to listen," said Schwertz, 20, of Fort Worth, as he protested for allowing licensed concealed-handgun owners to have their weapons on campus. .... Jan Williams, 37, of Euless watched Schwertz from a distance outside the Arts and Technology building. She said she is firmly against allowing licensed concealed-gun owners to take weapons on campus, saying guns and...

SNIPPET: "Shopping malls stepped up security measures and terrorism awareness training after 9/11, but it’s unlikely they could prevent a shooting rampage by a terrorist hell-bent on killing, according to industry experts. Malls lack access control, and their civilian security officers usually are unarmed, making them much more vulnerable to an attack such as the one suspect Tarek Mehanna allegedly suggested, although they are less likely terrorism targets than more high-profile, class-A office buildings, other iconic centers or power facilities.

Doctors shocked at hostages's torture Krishnakumar P and Vicky Nanjappa in Mumbai They said that just one look at the bodies of the dead hostages as well as terrorists showed it was a battle of attrition that was fought over three days at the Oberoi and the Taj hotels in Mumbai. Doctors working in a hospital where all the bodies, including that of the terrorists, were taken said they had not seen anything like this in their lives. "Bombay has a long history of terror. I have seen bodies of riot victims, gang war and previous terror attacks like bomb...

A Brooklyn rabbi and his wife were found among the dead in a series of terrorist attacks in India that have claimed more than 150 lives. In response to the attacks, the NYPD beefed up patrols around large hotels and Jewish centers, including the Lubavitch headquarters, said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne. The department already was on alert because of a warning earlier this week of a possible al-Qaida plot to strike the city's rail systems over the holidays. "The threat is serious, the threat is significant, and it is plausible," said Congressman Peter King, R-Long Island, a member of the...

Mumbai: Acting swiftly and decisively, Indian commandos launched a clinical operation on Saturday to eliminate two militants holed up in the iconic Taj hotel in Mumbai to end a 59-hour terror drama, the country's longest, which claimed 148 lives and soured ties with Pakistan. The militants had attempted to create a diversion by torching two ground floor shops in the hotel's northern wing, hoping the thick black smoke would conceal their movements but this didn't work as the security forces required just over 20 minutes to eliminate them. "The operation is over," an extremely pleased Mumbai Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor...

Indian commandos have killed the last Islamic militants holed up inside Mumbai's Taj Mahal hotel, ending the more than two-day assault on India's financial capital, the city's police chief told AFP. "All (combat) operations are over. All the terrorists have been killed," Mumbai police commissioner Hassan Gafoor said, 59 hours after the attacks began. The historic, seafront Taj Mahal hotel was the last area in Mumbai where gunmen were still holed up. Gafoor said the overall death toll from attacks stood at around 155 confirmed killed.

FLORISSANT — An off-duty St. Louis County police officer shot and killed a man Sunday in an alleged attempted carjacking in front of the officer's Florissant home, police said. Shortly after 12:30 p.m., police said, an armed 18-year-old man approached the off-duty officer who had just gotten out of his car. The officer was in his driveway in the first block of Claire Drive near New Florissant Road, police said. The gunman approached the officer and demanded the keys to the officer's blue Toyota Camry, police said. Florissant police Lt. Tim Lowery said the officer wrested the handgun away from...

A statewide law giving Ohioans the right to carry concealed weapons, even in parks, takes precedence over a city's ability to regulate firearms, the state Supreme Court said yesterday in a ruling that wipes out local gun laws. The court's 4-3 decision struck down a small Sandusky County town's ban on firearms in city parks, but also is expected to invalidate assault-weapons restrictions in other cities, including Columbus and Cleveland.

Should Guns be allowed in National Parks?

DICKSON CITY — A Friday evening police incident spilled over into a Borough Council meeting Tuesday, with gun-rights advocates alleging harassment by two police officers. The regular monthly meeting erupted into a full-blown debate on the Second Amendment, with more than 20 Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association members — many of whom were openly armed — arguing their right to carry a weapon in public. Police have yet to release a report of the incident in which a group of customers at Old Country Buffet were questioned about openly carrying handguns in public. At least one of those customers, Rich Banks,...

8/17/07 Lubbock Police Investigate Murder at Local Gun Shop A Lubbock gun shop is closed temporarily, following a fatal dispute between co-workers. Ricky Lee Parrish, 48, is now charged with the murder of Wayne Knox, 66. Both men were employees of Fred's Gun Emporium in the 3000 block of Slide Road. NewsChannel 11 has learned that Knox lived in Wolfforth, and Parrish is a Shallowater resident. Police tell us that Parrish was conducting a concealed handgun class at the time of the incident. Witnesses told police that the two men were fighting around 5:45 p.m. Thursday, when Parrish allegedly stabbed...

If the number of concealed-handgun license holders is any indication, robbers may have to worry about getting more than stolen goods during a heist. With an increasing number of state residents legally packing heat, more robbers may be taking away some hot lead. More than 54,000 Oklahomans are licensed to carry concealed handguns under the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act, said Jessica Brown, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. That number is up from around 31,000 in 2000 and 15,081 in 1996, after the first year of licensing. Once approved, applicants are licensed to carry concealed weapons for five years....

t is just a simple click, but it gets my mind racing. That’s the sound that a Colt .380 pocket pistol makes when it is being cocked. I know that’s the sound it makes, but it is still an attention-getter when you hear it in person. It isn’t the only thing that gets my attention this late June morning. More so is the guy behind the pawn shop counter explaining to me how I could feel comfortable sticking this cocked pistol down the front of my pants. Welcome to the world of concealed carry. Yes, I’m in the gun-buying market....

This year the GRPC will be action-packed. With over 50 speakers hand-picked from the leadership of the Gun Rights Movement, the topics to be presented promise to have an impact that will help direct the path of our cause for years to come. The GRPC will be held this weekend, September 22, 23 and 24, 2006 at the Renaissance Charlotte Suites Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina ...

Woman Shot During Carjacking 5:56 PM EST, November 17, 2005 News Channel 8 HARTFORD -- A mother was shot this afternoon during a carjacking incident while picking her daughter up at school. This happened around 3:30 p.m. in front of a Seventh Day Adventist school on Woodland Street and Albany Ave. The woman was putting her eight-year-old daughter into the back seat of her car when a man started beating her. The woman put up a fight, and that's when the man pulled out a gun and shot her once in the side. The girl was able to get out...

TALLAHASSEE -- A new chapter in the old debate over gun control is starting to unfold in Florida, and part of the story is tucked away in Shari Kotsch's purse. Kotsch, a Pasco County resident who works from home, decided to apply for a concealed weapons license about six months ago. "My husband and I both signed up for the class," she said, in part because she always felt like an "easy target" in a world that's "going crazy." Now, Kotsch takes her pistol everywhere. Her mother and mother-in-law -- both widows -- now carry, too. Kotsch and her relatives...

Minnesota churches deserve an exemption from a state law requiring them to either post a sign or verbally inform people that concealed handguns aren't allowed on their property, a judge has ruled. Hennepin County District Judge LaJune Thomas Lange granted two Twin Cities churches a temporary injunction Friday, the first legal blow to a 2005 law that was passed after an earlier version stumbled in the courts. "The 2005 Act impermissibly intrudes into the free exercise of religion by arbitrary definitions, which dictate restrictions on the use of church property for worship, childcare, parking and rental space,'' Lange wrote. Her...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, July 12, 2005 Contact: Spence Jackson, (573) 751-0290 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Governor Signs Bills Benefiting Missouri, Protecting Consumers, Fixing Concealed Carry JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Matt Blunt today signed several bills that will protect consumers from insurance fraud, provide counties with resources to issue law abiding citizens’ concealed carry permits, promote parental involvement in education, establish a process to resolve disputes between homebuilders and homeowners, protect homebuyers from sexual offenders and make it a crime to harm service dogs. "I am pleased today to sign these important pieces of legislation," Blunt said. "Their impact is broad reaching and...

Police: Manager Shot At Local Car Dealership Gunman Calls 911, Police Say POSTED: 12:13 pm EDT April 28, 2005 UPDATED: 12:30 pm EDT April 28, 2005 DETROIT -- A manager at a local car dealership was shot by an employee on Thursday morning, police said. The shooting took place at about 9:30 a.m. at Jefferson Chevrolet, just east of the Interstate 375 exit in Detroit. Police said the manager and the employee were arguing when at some point the employee pulled out a gun and fired a shot. The manager suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach, police said. (SNIP)---------------------...

A Henrico County resident brought more than complaints about rising real estate taxes to a recent budget public hearing. To the surprise of some in the audience, the speaker was also carrying a gun. "I was beyond appall by the presentation of an armed citizen," Bob Atack, a local developer who attended the April 12 hearing, wrote in a letter to County Manager Virgil R. Hazelett. "As I observed his behavior from the podium, almost within arm's reach [of] the most important elected officials and senior management of our county, it caused me to tremble." Snip…

WARREN - A 62-year-old Howland man arrested while holstering a military-style pistol with Kevlar penetrating bullets is scheduled to make his first court appearance this morning. Jerry Joseph of Valacamp Avenue S.E. is accused of violating Ohio's conceal and carry law during a traffic stop Monday when police say he failed to tell police he had the weapon concealed while he was in a motor vehicle. Joseph is scheduled to be arraigned this morning in Warren Municipal Court on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle. He is free on $5,500 bond....

Does anyone have any recent experience in applying for a CCW permit in Indiana? I've already completed my application, been approved, and am waiting for the permit to arrive in the mail. My question is: how long should I expect to wait? I've heard anything from 10 days to 3 months(!).

House Bill 4042 (2005) Sponsors Fulton Sheen - (primary) Rick Jones , Jacob Hoogendyk , Mike Nofs , Leon Drolet , Daniel Acciavatti , Robert Gosselin , Jack Brandenburg , John Pastor , John Stakoe , Jim Marleau , Kevin Elsenheimer , Rick Shaffer , Dave Hildenbrand , Tonya Schuitmaker , Phil Pavlov , Bruce Caswell , Rich Brown , John Gleason , David Robertson Categories Weapons, licensing ; Weapons, concealed ; Law enforcement, fingerprinting Weapons; licensing; fingerprinting requirement for renewal of concealed weapons permit; eliminate. Amends sec. 5l of 1927 PA 372 (MCL 28.425l). -------------------------- January 27, 2005, Introduced...

          “We know that for even law-abiding folks who own guns, the rates of suicide and mortality are substantially higher. So while just perceived to be a crime thing, we think there is a wide benefit to limiting the number of guns in the city.” – Bill Barnes, aide to Supervisor Chris Daly (1)With this erroneous claim to bolster them, San Francisco supervisors kicked off a campaign to get voters to approve a city-wide handgun ban to take effect in 2006. What they are ignoring, besides statistical data, is history.Gun Ownership and Murder Rates Mr. Barnes used the term “mortality.”...

FOP SHOULD NOW ENDORSE NATIONAL CCW FOR PRIVATE CITIZENS, SAYS CCRKBA Based on the Fraternal Order of Police support for national concealed carry for working and retired police officers as "a deterrent to crime and terrorism," the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) today called on the FOP to support national concealed carry for armed private citizens. CCRKBA Executive Director Joe Waldron noted, "We all know that even retired policemen can't always be there when they are needed to prevent or stop a crime, but the likelihood of legal intervention increases when you add several...

Conceal/carry law shot down Minnesota's conceal and carry gun law was declared unconstitutional today by a Ramsey County District judge. Ruling in a lawsuit brought by several churches, Judge John Finley wrote in his decision that it was unconstitutional for the 2002 Legislature to bundle the conceal and carry gun language with an unrelated bill.

Four States Holding to 'No Issue' Handgun Laws 6/28/2004 Feature Story by Dick Dahl With the recent passage of a "shall issue" handgun law in Ohio, the number of states that have eased restrictions on concealed gun carrying has risen to 35. But in the face of this onslaught, four heartland states are holding fast to their long-time laws that prohibit the carrying of concealed guns by people other than police officers. Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, and Wisconsin thus far have withstood the gun lobby's efforts to enact shall-issue laws. (They're commonly called "shall issue" laws because they say that the...

Our quiet rise in handguns Web-posted Jun 27, 2004 By KORIE WILKINS Of The Daily Oakland Press Three years ago, a heated debate was raging about Michigan's plan to make it easier to get concealed weapons permits. One side said more guns would make society safer from violent crime while the other said making concealed weapons permits easier to obtain was surely a recipe for disaster. Three years later, neither prediction has come true. Law enforcement officers and local officials say Michigan's streets are no safer - or more dangerous - than they were three years ago when the law...

I used to support gun control, meaning civilian disarmament.  There was no reason, the rationale went, for a private citizen to own a gun.  The only ones who wanted guns had small genitalia, were paranoid crazies, and criminals.         All this was assumed, without any empirical or statistical research to base it upon.  Due to the influence of one of my clients who is a person of great honor, I began to research the issue of gun control on my own.  Having been a college boy who loved library research, I knew how to ferret out fact from fiction.  It...

YOUNGSTOWN — Sure, Ohio now has a concealed-carry law, but once you get a license, your hidden holstered gun may not be welcome everywhere you want to go. Like spring flowers, signs that prohibit firearms are popping up everywhere. Businesses, including The Vindicator, that don't want employees, visitors or customers to enter armed are posting warning signs. Violators face a misdemeanor charge. The concealed-carry law takes effect Thursday. That day, sheriffs' departments will begin processing applications, and licenses are expected to be ready within 45 days. So, sometime in May, licensed Ohioans will be out and about with their guns....

Some Daily Oakland Press readers had mixed emotions last week when we reported a Farmington Hills woman had frightened away would-be robbers because she was legally carrying a gun. They praised us for printing the story, but wished we'd put it on the front page. It may be the first such local story we've printed or known of - and that was because the chief of police there wisely brought it to public attention. The successful threat of a weapon in the hands of a potential crime victim is an event that rarely becomes public. This surely was not the...

A measure allowing Kansans to carry concealed weapons went to the full Senate after being endorsed today by the Federal and State Affairs Committee on a 5-4 vote. Several attempts to broaden the list of places where concealed guns would remain forbidden failed on similar votes. The most significant change from a version of the bill passed by the House is that the attorney general's office would issue permits, rather than the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. KBI officials have taken no position on the concept of concealed weapons but have said the agency did not want to become a licensing...

Sheriff issues first permits for conceal-carry By Linda Redeffer ~ Southeast Missourian Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones was the first person in the county to apply for a permit to carry a concealed weapon under the county's newly approved conceal-carry law. Jones was one of four who went through the process Wednesday. For the first couple of weeks, Sheriff John Jordan said, his office will process applications at a rate of one an hour and by appointment. Between Wednesday and next Tuesday, Jordan has scheduled 34 applications for the permit. A few of those appointments are for married...

Taft to sign hidden gun bill By JOHN McCARTHY The Associated Press COLUMBUS - Lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday to allow Ohioans to carry hidden guns, and Gov. Bob Taft said he will sign it. The Senate vote was 25-8, and the House vote was 69-24. Taft said he looked forward to signing the bill. The vote marked the first time the Legislature and the governor's office have agreed to a deal after a decade of debate on the highly contentious issue. Ohioans who apply for permits to carry concealed weapons would have to pay a fee, undergo background checks...

SENATE BILL No. 891 December 10, 2003, Introduced by Senators McMANUS, KUIPERS, JELINEK, TOY, BARCIA, BIRKHOLZ, GOSCHKA and ALLEN and referred to the Committee on Judiciary. A bill to amend 1927 PA 372, entitled "An act to regulate and license the selling, purchasing, possessing, and carrying of certain firearms and gas ejecting devices; to prohibit the buying, selling, or carrying of certain firearms and gas ejecting devices without a license or other authorization; to provide for the forfeiture of firearms under certain circumstances; to provide for penalties and remedies; to provide immunity from civil liability under certain circumstances; to prescribe...

YOUNGSTOWN — Carol Sell stood on Federal Plaza with a .22-caliber revolver strapped to her waist. "I believe law-abiding citizens have the right to carry a concealed weapon to defend ourselves, especially as a woman," said Sell, of Champion. She was one of 55 participants in the Youngstown Defense Walk, organized to elicit support for state legislation that would allow Ohio residents to carry concealed firearms. Ohio law already permits individuals to carry firearms openly, and that was one point of Saturday's march along Front and Market streets, said organizer Rick Kaleda of Hazelwood Avenue. Kaleda is a pistol and...

CONCEALED HANDGUN RECIPROCITY IN NORTH CAROLINA Current list of states that have concealed handgun permit agreements with North Carolina: Arkansas Alabama Georgia Florida Idaho Kentucky Michigan Montana Oklahoma Pennsylvania South Dakota Tennessee Utah Virginia Please note that this list is changing and will be updated regularly. If you are from a state that is not on this list, please see our publication North Carolina Firearms Laws for a discussion of how to transport a firearm through North Carolina. This publication also includes a list of “Do’s and Don’ts” for carrying a concealed handgun in North Carolina. This information is designed...

Personal Protection Bill to be heard Concealed Weapons Hearing set for Sept. 9 in Madison Madison.. . Wisconsin citizens will have an opportunity to express their beliefs and to learn about a proposal, authored by Senator Dave Zien (R-Eau Claire), Representative Scott Gunderson (R-Waterford) and cosponsored by 48 other state legislators, to allow trained, law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families with a concealed weapon. Wisconsin would join 44 other states in allowing citizens the right to self-defense if the legislature passes Senate Bill 214 or Assembly Bill 444. Zien is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections...

New Jersey Coalition for Self Defense Statement Regarding Victims in Meridien, Miss., and Bakersfield, Calif. To: State Desk Contact: Robert Kreisler of the New Jersey Coalition for Self Defense, 732-247-2282; president@njcsd.org http://www.njcsd.org BRICK, N.J., July 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is an announcement from the New Jersey Coalition for Self Defense: "On behalf of the New Jersey Coalition for Self Defense, we wish to express our sincere condolences to the families and victims of the grim events in Meridien, Mississippi, and Bakersfield, California, which have captured so much attention from the press and media this past week. "Lest we...

Posted on Sat, Jul. 12, 2003 Right to carry would disprove horror stories By JOHN R. LOTT JR. Special to The Star Gov. Bob Holden finally vetoed the right-to-carry legislation last week, expressing fears about the risks the law poses for police and children. With more than 70 percent of the Missouri House and Senate already voting for the bill, the expected veto override battle appears to be coming down to a single vote in the Senate. Gun control advocates such as Holden are right to fear the right-to-carry bill's passage, but not for the reason that most people think....

One month since the onset of Minnesota's liberalized handgun law, more than 4,000 people have applied for permits to carry firearms in public, and so far almost all are getting them. In all of last year, authorities granted only 1,400 permits in those five counties: Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey and Washington. 'Soft, white guys' By law, officials can't reveal the identities of those applying for or receiving handgun permits, but Dakota County Sheriff Don Gudmunson has sized them up. "They're soft white guys," he said. "They look in the mirror and see they're out of shape and think they need...

<p>About 215,000 Texans are licensed to carry concealed weapons. The state concedes that more than 400 were licensed despite prior convictions and more than 3,000 other licensees have since been arrested.</p> <p>The largest category of problem licensees involves those who committed crimes after getting their state concealed-gun permits. The cases represent domestic disputes, road rage, drunkenness, carelessness and bad judgment under stress.</p>

Most of what the opponents said about the conceal-and-carry permit, and how they dressed while saying it, did not make sense. More than a few of the elected worthies wore bulletproof vests during the Senate debate Monday, suggesting, I can only imagine, that they anticipate being shot at by their colleagues. Sen. Linda Berglin, DFL-Minneapolis, whose district includes south Minneapolis, said, "I have a district where our babies are being shot.'' Berglin was referring to a drive-by shooting last week when three teenagers were shot. "Rest assured, more guns will not make us safer. None of you will be safer...

Illinois State Legislature Firearm Related Bills -- 93rd Session Bill Number   Synopsis Recommendation HB1377 Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that it is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense to sell or give a firearm while engaged in the business of selling firearms at wholesale or retail without being licensed as a federal firearms dealer under the federal Gun Control Act of 1968. Effective immediately.   HB1379 Amends the Illinois Police Training Act and the Criminal Code of 1961. Exempts from provisions prohibiting the carrying of a...