A New Jersey man gets seven years for being a responsible gun owner.

[aray]

Text removed. See content at link below.

[aray]

Reference to above from: Brian Aitken's Mistake - Reason Magazine

[wyntrout]

Damn! What a waste of taxpayer money and a real travesty of "justice". New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is supposedly a sensible man and hopefully, he will at least pardon Aitken. That judge ought to spend some time behind bars. It's unusual to see a bad judge unseated. All of his "judgments" ought to be in question and reviewed.
Wynn

[rholmes69]

That is some of the most ridiculous crap I have ever heard. Sorry to our NJ board members, I hate that state. I have a sister who lives there (married "up" I guess you could say) and everytime we go to visit, I feel like I got mugged and I have to take a shower to get the dirt off. The cost of living, not pumping your own gas, etc. A pack of smokes there 3 years ago was over $7-$8. Gimme a break!!

[joje]

what a terrible, terrible story! its like some of the coastal states have gone into some bay-of-pig-like collective madness - thank God i'm not forced to live there like this poor guy.

[jlottmc]

Hopefully, this railroading gets taken care of at appeals. This reminds me of another Nifong. There are a few prosecutors that have no idea how they ruin people, then when the inevitable acquittal comes in they get all hot and bothered. Lawyers need to be vanished, as they are the bane of any civil society.

[sonofodin]

O-h-i-o !

[jlottmc]

Nah Brother, Texas. 'Nuff said.

[TheTman]

That story just makes me sick. Prosecuting law abiding citizens as though they were out gang-banging. And Purchasing permits, that doesn't even allow you to possess a gun? What the hell are you supposed to do with it then?
It really aggravates me to see how some states insist on passing gun control laws while crime continues to rise. I think every state that has passed Concealed Carry laws has shown a drop in violent crime rates. Seems like I read that somewhere.
I thank God I live in Kansas, which is becoming more firearm friendly every year.
Our latest gun rights victory was adding an individual's right to keep and bear arms to the state constitution. A state Supreme Court had ruled that the 2nd admendment applied only to militias back in the early 1900's. I pray that this poor man gets a pardon or is found not guilty on appeal.

[Roadblock]

Someone needs to make some T-Shirts that say "Free Brian" on the front, and then explain why on the back.

I'd buy one. Good way for the family to make money money to off set legal costs.

[Atilla]

I am very grateful in Ohio the gun laws are not as bad. But we do NOT get our rights from an Amendment, Constitution, legal decision, or law. We are born with our rights. Governments can only take them away or restrict them. The Bill of Rights does NOT guarantee anything, it restricts government (supposedly). This case needed jury nullification and if I was on it I would have been the holdout. It is a shame 1/12 does not have the guts to do what is right. Yes he violated the letter of the law from what I have read, but the law was wrong.

[Jim K]

I know this has been said before but it's not the weapon but the person who wields it. I cannot understand the fascination with stuff like firearms that makes some folks think that possesion makes the person dangerous. I have a motor vehicle and a bottle of whiskey. That does not make me a drunk driver. I read about the TSA scanning pilots, even federal flight deck officers for weapons!!!! Holy mackerel! I'm trying to restrain my language so I don't get banned again so guess what I'm really thinking. Now I play with some truly dangerous toys with my work and I travel alot and I'm usually armed (concealed carry permit). I am one of the good guys. It's nothing special to me but I'm am afraid some idiot in a position of authority will try to take away my liberty of firearm possesion. It's not paranoia. It seems that being responsible and good willed ain't enough. The government does not trust the people.
I suppose I just gotta get in line and shut up, watch TV and pay my taxes.
Jim K, USSA (for the moment) (NRA forever)

[ltxi]

Used to live in NJ....that was 30 years ago, but they were nuts wrt guns even then.

Got both my current and most immediate ex-wife from NJ...both times I was living out of state. I sometimes think they married me just to escape escape the damn place.

"Even the jurors who convicted him seem to have been looking for a reason to acquit him." .... Not to minimize this apparent travesty in the least, but a jury is always free to follow their conscience and aquit....despite law and despite any judicial admonition that they must follow it..

[Dietrich]

I was born and have lived in the state of North Carolina my entire life.Such draconian gun laws are totally alien to my way of thinking.How in the world did the people of this state let things get so out of hand? It is my fervent hope that the governor of NJ sees this as the travesty that it is and frees this good man.I just can`t fathom living in such a place.

[yqtszhj]

I lived in NJ 25 years ago and it was messed up then. I'm glad I'm not there any more. Don't get me wrong. I met some nice folks when I was there but I never want to have to live there again. I don't even want to visit the NE due to this same mentality. Possible exception would be New Hamshire.