Federal judge rules Maryland permit law unconstitutional

[scott9050]

One for the good guys:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03 ... itutional/

BALTIMORE – A federal judge has ruled that Maryland's handgun permit law is unconstitutional.

In an opinion filed Monday, U.S. District Judge Benson Everett Legg says a requirement that residents show a "good and substantial reason" to carry a handgun infringes their Second Amendment right to bear arms. He says it isn't sufficiently tailored to the state's public safety interests.

Plaintiff Raymond Woollard was denied a renewal of his permit in 2009 because he could not show he had been subject to "threats occurring beyond his residence." Woollard obtained the permit after fighting with an intruder in his Hampstead home in 2002.

The lawsuit, which names the state police superintendent and members of the Handgun Permit Review Board, was also filed on behalf of the Bellevue, Wash.-based Second Amendment Foundation.

[allingeneral]

I'm always happy to see a judge with a little bit of common sense. Now, getting the Maryland bureaucratic establishment (sans common sense) to make any changes to their laws as a result of this ruling - that's a whole different ball of wax.

[jdonovan]

now Md has a tough decision, rewrite their CCW law more narrowly, and with less ambiguity about who can get a permit, while at the same time permitting open carry. Or take this all the way to the supreme and run the risk of setting national precedent.

I predict a large uptick in the sales of tums in Annapolis in the next few weeks.

[Reverenddel]

You know? What shocks me, someone said "In a generation, those with conservative leanings will be in power, because they remember the damage those socialist/communist hippies did to this country".

He was an old "Gunny", Wish he were alive for me to say "You were correct sir."

[jrswanson1]

This is a big deal! The judge extended bearing of arms outside of the home. AG Gansler has already started the appeal and stay process. I'm hoping the 4th smacks that down and I'll be able to keep my CCW on while driving through Maryland. I'm thinking this may even start the ball rolling to judicially mandated national reciprocity.

[Reverenddel]

"national reciprocity", dare we dream?

[dorminWS]

This is a big deal! The judge extended bearing of arms outside of the home. AG Gansler has already started the appeal and stay process. I'm hoping the 4th smacks that down and I'll be able to keep my CCW on while driving through Maryland. I'm thinking this may even start the ball rolling to judicially mandated national reciprocity.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Not judicially mandated - judicially protected.

[VBshooter]

It will be great if this can be the final say .. Gun people in MD need to rally on a very large scale to keep the momentum...There are other states that have that BS on their forms for CCW too that need to be struck down. So a national precedent would be a good thing. You have to sympathize with people that now have to literally be receiving Death threats and relying on some local cop to say if they can exercise their rights or not....

[9MM92FS]

Libs never seem to "get the message". As in other liberal enclaves, the local politicos will try to rewrite laws/regs and it will require more legal fights before they give in. Even when confronted with judicial rulings which tell them in no uncertain terms that their gun laws violate the Second Amendment, they come up with new roadblocks such as annual fees, storage requirements, vision tests, a myriad of places where guns can't enter, background investigation and interview requirements, waiting periods which serve no purpose than to delay the inevitable, restrictions on ammo, etc. They can't get it through their heads that true CRIMINALS DON'T CARE ABOUT GUN LAWS. That's why they're criminals....duh.

[scott9050]

Libs never seem to "get the message". As in other liberal enclaves, the local politicos will try to rewrite laws/regs and it will require more legal fights before they give in. Even when confronted with judicial rulings which tell them in no uncertain terms that their gun laws violate the Second Amendment, they come up with new roadblocks such as annual fees, storage requirements, vision tests, a myriad of places where guns can't enter, background investigation and interview requirements, waiting periods which serve no purpose than to delay the inevitable, restrictions on ammo, etc. They can't get it through their heads that true CRIMINALS DON'T CARE ABOUT GUN LAWS. That's why they're criminals....duh.

The laws in many areas are as discriminatory as Poll tax and reading tests were and just as racist, though most Liberals would never admit as much. If they did this with any of our other rights the outrage would be overwhelming. The party of hope and change does not want its law abiding citizens standing up and protecting themselves as their power is based on their voters needing them.