Local woman jailed for carrying in NJ

[MrTee12]

A single mother from Philadelphia could be facing up to three years in prison for what she and her attorney say was her effort to be honest with New Jersey authorities.

On Oct. 1, 2013, Shaneen Allen, 27, was pulled over in Atlantic County, N.J. for a routine traffic stop. When the officer approached her vehicle, the mother of two informed him that she had a handgun in the car and presented her concealed carry permit for Pennsylvania.


Allen quickly learned that her Pennsylvania gun license held no legal weight in New Jersey when instead of getting a traffic ticket, she was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and armor penetrating bullets.

"She voluntarily and honestly told the officer that she had her licensed handgun and gave him her license to carry," Allen's attorney Evan Nappen said.

"She’s a hard-working single mom. It’s really crazy that New Jersey is taking someone who’s got no criminal record and was doing nothing wrong — other than a minor traffic violation — and making it into a felony-level conviction with minimal mandatory time."

Nappen is a New Jersey-based criminal defense attorney whose practice focuses on gun law. He says his client did not know it was illegal to have her .380 Bersa Thunder handgun and the hallow-point bullets in it while driving through the state.

According to the Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association, Pennsylvania concealed carry permits, like the one Allen has, are honored in 30 other states. New Jersey is not one of them.


If found guilty, Allen could face up to three years in prison with no chance of parole.

Nappen says Allen purchased the gun through a licensed dealer roughly a week before her arrest because she feared for her safety. She had been robbed twice earlier that year.

According to Nappen, Allen's case is particularly unfortunate because she has two small children, and because an Atlantic County prosecutor denied Allen admission into a Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) program that would have allowed for a more lenient punishment, a period of probation and some community service.

Nappen says he's seen at least a dozen similar cases in the past year. He believes a federal law mandating concealed carry license reciprocity among states might be a fix for the issue.


"People believe that your gun license should be treated like your driver’s license. Right now there’s a national law being proposed that would mandate that all states recognize other states licenses," he said. "It’s still pending, but it's needed for people like this. I’m calling that bill Shaneen’s law."

University of Pennsylvania Law School professor Kermit Roosevelt said New Jersey authorities were well within their rights when they arrested Allen.

"I don't think the law is problematic. Each state has legal authority to regulate behavior within its borders. So, they're saying we have laws, and if you come here, you have to play by our rules," he said.

When it comes to firearms laws, New Jersey is considered to be one of the strictest states in the country.

Roosevelt agreed that a federal law might be a good solution for the future.

"I think, as a general matter, a federal law would be a good idea. When you get conflicts between the states about issues like this, Congress is supposed to weigh everyone's interests and find a reasonable resolution," he said. "In the meantime, it's still up to the states."

A court date for Allen's case has been set for Aug. 5. Nappen said he plans to request a dismissal of all charges.



http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/...267507831.html

[Gman106]

Welcome to the board. This topic is already posted here:

http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/259...l-time-nj.html

[MrTee12]

Thx. Sorry didn't see it. You can delete my thread.

[Im not Batman]

There is always more to the story then what we read.

It's a shame that there isn't any reciprocity ...hope some day that will happen.

I wonder, did she know...about NJ law. What lead up to her NOT sanitizing the car.

All questions.. I know, but I am always wondering about stuff.

Hope she gets a good lawyer

[Storm88000]

Me thinks she is a dumb-dumb for not keeping her mouth shut.

Shit, if I'm carrying in my vehicle on the highway and I even see SIGNS that say "NEW JERSEY" (even though I know I'm getting off well before the border) I hate it. I'm sure its happened to people before by accident with PA LTCF'ers going the wrong way on 80 or something.

The story is ridiculous but she's a dope

[internet troll]

Me thinks she is a dumb-dumb for not keeping her mouth shut.

Shit, if I'm carrying in my vehicle on the highway and I even see SIGNS that say "NEW JERSEY" (even though I know I'm getting off well before the border) I hate it. I'm sure its happened to people before by accident with PA LTCF'ers going the wrong way on 80 or something.

The story is ridiculous but she's a dope

I've seen this opinion in a couple of the threads on this topic. While part me agrees, I also realize that not everyone has the same life experiences, outlooks etc. .. as me. There are a lot of things that I realize that others don't, just as there are things others realize that I don't. There are thousands of local and federal laws just for firearms, and 10000's of thousands more laws on other topics, I am probably clueless about. There could well be numerous laws that you and I break daily with out realizing it.

I know I don't sit there and study all of another states myriad of traffic laws, local laws, and various codes except for gun laws.

I blame New Jersey here for putting itself above the Constitution. I can see someone with different life experiences than me thinking "shall not be infringed" seems clear. Yes I realize that there is a difference between states, I was just lucky enough to realize before I did it and got caught, she was not.

Like I said, I blame New Jersey for putting itself above the Constitution.
Not a single person has done anything to make the world a better place by putting her through this. New Jersey should be ashamed of itself.

[pennlineman]

There is no way in hell you should be jailed for three years for simply crossing a bridge within the same country. Wreaking lives for nothing more than missing an exit, BS. I hate when my work requires me to go to our neighboring communist states. Once I had work in NJ along the Delaware river. It was unnerving to look across at Pa and realize the rights I've forgone by simply being on the wrong side of a river.

[indianjack]

And the tough guy bureaucrats can feel so superior for making 2 kids orphans for 3 years, ain't Jersey great?

[pennlineman]

And the tough guy bureaucrats can feel so superior for making 2 kids orphans for 3 years, ain't Jersey great?

Yeah really. Maybe we should detain a few NJ people and conduct a prisoner exchange as you would with any other hostile entity.