GOA Press Release: Victory! Philadelphia Police Department Gun Permit Unit is now iss
December 9, 2020
For immediate release
Philadelphia Reissues Carry Permits after GOA Legal Victory
Springfield, VA * Due to the legal action supported by Gun Owners of America (GOA), the Philadelphia Police Department Gun Permit Unit (GPU) began accepting applications for a license to carry firearms (LTCF) via electronic mail as of Monday, December 7, 2020.
GOA was the first gun rights organization to file suit against the City of Philadelphia for excessive delays in issuing LTCFs in the wake of the COVID crisis. Gun Owners of America, Inc., et. al. vs. City of Philadelphia and Commissioner Danielle M. Outlaw was filed on October 5, 2020. The lawsuit sought to force the City to accept and process LTCF applications within the specified time required by law. Additionally, our motion for peremptory judgment gave the City the option to accept applications via alternative means, like other counties are doing across Pennsylvania.
Almost immediately, the GPU responded by putting on a second shift of detectives who began taking applications five days per week in order to speed up processing.
However, on November 18, 2020 the City of Philadelphia closed the GPU. Upon request from GOA attorney Andrew Austin, the City Solicitor informed the Court of Common Pleas of the reason for the closure and that they would be reopening the GPU on December 7, 2020. When the GPU could not physically reopen, they shifted to taking applications via email which is consistent with the relief sought by GOA in the motion for peremptory judgment.
"While it was unfortunate for the officers, the COVID exposure was proof-positive that the City's system did not work," said Andrew Austin, attorney for GOA and the ten plaintiffs suing the City. "The City represented to the Court that the unit would reopen on December 7th, and when they couldn't do so, they had no other choice but to concede and begin accepting applications by alternate means."
"I'm also pleased that the GPU is beginning to accept LTCF applications again," said Dr. Val Finnell, Pennsylvania Director for GOA. *We are reminding applicants that the GPU has 45 days to issue their LTCF. If not, I*ve asked them to contact us if they experience delays."
Other gun rights organizations also sued the City of Philadelphia. On November 20, 2020, the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) sued the City in Federal Court taking a constitutional approach. The joint threat of GOA's mandamus and FPC*s preliminary injunction guaranteed that the City was going to lose sooner or later.
Andrew Austin, Esq., Dr. Val Finnell, or another GOA spokesperson, is available for interviews. Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. GOA represents over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA's Press Center.
https://pennsylvania.gunowners.org/p...legal-victory/
Re: GOA Press Release: Victory! Philadelphia Police Department Gun Permit Unit is now
Good to hear, nice job Val and GOA. Until they find a new reason to stop again ;-)
Re: GOA Press Release: Victory! Philadelphia Police Department Gun Permit Unit is now
Quote:
Originally Posted by
pens87pgh
Good to hear, nice job Val and GOA. Until they find a new reason to stop again ;-)
Thanks. We'll keep an eye on them for sure.
Re: GOA Press Release: Victory! Philadelphia Police Department Gun Permit Unit is now
Quote:
Originally Posted by
vfinnell
Thanks. We'll keep an eye on them for sure.
Well done!
Re: GOA Press Release: Victory! Philadelphia Police Department Gun Permit Unit is now
Re: GOA Press Release: Victory! Philadelphia Police Department Gun Permit Unit is now
I am skeptical.
After you get your acceptance email, you still need to call the same number to get an appointment to go down to the same building for fingerprinting, turn in your money order and passport photo, and get your physical card.
While it reduces the pointless two-visit system to one-visit, we are talking about an appointment process that was stretching many many months into the future (mine was 9 months, others have reported much longer than that.)
Is it a victory if you need to wait 6 months for an appointment to go pick up your license?
A complete victory would have been to allow us to mail in our passport photos, and to offer socially distanced pickup or mailings.
As for this move, we will just have to wait and see what the final results will be. Delay is denial.
Re: GOA Press Release: Victory! Philadelphia Police Department Gun Permit Unit is now
Victory will be when all honor the 2nd Amendment. Nothing less. NOTHING!
Re: GOA Press Release: Victory! Philadelphia Police Department Gun Permit Unit is now
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cl0r0x70
I am skeptical.
After you get your acceptance email, you still need to call the same number to get an appointment to go down to the same building for fingerprinting, turn in your money order and passport photo, and get your physical card.
While it reduces the pointless two-visit system to one-visit, we are talking about an appointment process that was stretching many many months into the future (mine was 9 months, others have reported much longer than that.)
Is it a victory if you need to wait 6 months for an appointment to go pick up your license?
A complete victory would have been to allow us to mail in our passport photos, and to offer socially distanced pickup or mailings.
As for this move, we will just have to wait and see what the final results will be. Delay is denial.
That is why I asked people to let me know if it is taking longer than 45 days after you apply. The real solution is Constitutional Carry. We will have that refiled again in the PA General Assembly.
Re: GOA Press Release: Victory! Philadelphia Police Department Gun Permit Unit is now
Quote:
Originally Posted by
vfinnell
That is why I asked people to let me know if it is taking longer than 45 days after you apply. The real solution is Constitutional Carry. We will have that refiled again in the PA General Assembly.
Glad to have people like you and the GOA fighting the good fight. THANK YOU!
You've asked people to let you know if "it" is taking longer than 45 days. What is "it?"
The GPU told me that they've recieved my emailed application, and apparently I filled everything correctly and sent all the necessary documents. Now I think I have to wait up to 45 days for them to make a decision. Is that "it?"
But what about the next step? I called them yesterday and asked if I could go ahead and schedule my appointment for pickup. They said "no," that I had to wait for my acceptance email first.
My fear is obviously that (after trying for days and getting busy signals) I'll be told "great. . . see you next September 23rd."
Guns & Gadgets Trumpets GOA Victory in Philadelphia (Video)
Jared of Guns & Gadgets trumpets GOA's victory in Philadelphia and gives you more details about our case.
https://youtu.be/2jByP3Z0fWo