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NJ Fed Ct rejects Justifiable Need Challenge

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US Judge Rejects Challenge to NJ Firearm Carry Restrictions

The suit was brought by the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs and a Wall, New Jersey, resident who was denied a permit to carry a handgun because he could not demonstrate a justifiable need.

By Charles Toutant | May 22, 2018 at 04:01 PM
 
      

 

 

 

 

handgun-Article-201805231703.jpgCredit: iStockphoto.com

 

A federal judge in Trenton, New Jersey, has turned back a constitutional challenge to New Jersey’s law requiring the showing of a “justifiable need” for anyone who wants to carry firearms in public.

 

 

The suit was brought by the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs and a Wall, New Jersey, resident who was denied a permit to carry a handgun because he could not demonstrate a justifiable need.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Brian Martinotti granted a motion to dismiss the challenge.

The decision highlights a circuit split over whether a state may place the burden on an applicant to prove need in order to secure a carry permit.

Martinotti said he had no authority to grant the plaintiffs’ request to declare the “justifiable need” requirement unconstitutional, because the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit had upheld the constitutionality of that requirement in New Jersey’s gun permit laws in its 2013 decision, Drake v. Filko. In that case, the appeals court held that the “justifiable need” requirement for persons seeking to carry a handgun in public was “presumptively lawful” and did not infringe on the Second Amendment.

The plaintiffs argued that Drake was wrongly decided and urged the court to follow Wrenn v. District of Columbia, a 2017 decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. In that case, a special-need requirement for a permit to carry a firearm in public, similar to New Jersey’s, was overturned.

But Wrenn is “neither binding nor precedential to this Court and cannot serve to overturn Third Circuit precedent,” Martinotti wrote. The District Court “does not have the authority or power to grant such a request and, therefore, deems this complaint meritless on its face.”

The individual plaintiff in the case, Thomas Rogers, has an automatic teller machine business, which requires him to travel to various locations carrying large amounts of cash. His application to carry a weapon was denied by his town’s police chief, who concluded that he failed to establish specific threats that put him in special and unavoidable danger. Superior Court Judge Joseph Oxley affirmed that ruling on Jan. 2.

Oxley said Rogers failed to demonstrate he was subject to the level of specific attacks or threats required under statute to get permission to carry a handgun. He only cited general circumstances when he had to leave his machines due to “suspicious activities taking place nearby.”

The suit said New Jersey’s courts have interpreted the justifiable-need requirement to determine that generalized fears for personal safety are inadequate, and a need to protect property alone does not suffice to establish a justifiable need. As a result, typical New Jersey residents who cannot demonstrate their life is in danger, as evidenced by serious threats or previous attacks, are effectively subject to a ban on carrying guns outside the home, the suit asserts.

The other plaintiff, the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, says on its website that it is “the official New Jersey affiliate of” the National Rifle Association. The ANJRPC says the “incredible support and guidance” of the NRA “made this new lawsuit possible,” and goes on to say that the “right to carry’s time is coming in the Garden State.”

Named as defendants in the case were New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal; Patrick Callahan, acting superintendent of the New Jersey State Police; Kenneth Brown Jr., chief of the Wall Township Police Department, and Superior Court Judges Joseph Oxley and N. Peter Conforti.

Martinotti cited three failed legal efforts aimed at overturning Drake. As a trial judge he lacked discretion to disregard such controlling precedent, he wrote.

Daniel Schmutter of Hartman & Winnicki in Ridgewood, New Jersey, represented the plaintiff along with lawyers from Cooper & Kirk in Washington, D.C. Schmutter said in an e-mail that “We are confident that the United States Supreme Court will vindicate the right to carry a firearm outside of the home as guaranteed by the Second Amendment.”

Schmutter previously stated that he was hopeful that the Rogers case could reach the Supreme Court, in light of the conflict between the D.C. Circuit ruling in Wrenn, and the Third Circuit ruling in Drake. He said that courts in New Jersey and other states have interpreted the “justifiable need” standard vary narrowly, and permits are granted very rarely under that standard.

Deputy Attorney General Bryan Edward Lucas represented the state defendants. A spokesman for the New Jersey Attorney General’s office, Lee Moore, said in a statement, “We agree with the court’s decision. New Jersey’s law regulating the public carrying of firearms is plainly constitutional. As the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has already held, our law is valid because it reflects a longstanding approach to promoting public safety.”

 

 
 
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Thanks to the OP for posting this recent development. The formatting seems to be a bit messed up though, so I found the article... and I'm adding the link to it here in case anyone wants to read the full article:   https://www.law.com/njlawjournal/2018/05/22/us-judge-rejects-challenge-to-nj-firearm-carry-restrictions/?slreturn=20180424140515

BTW, if I recall correctly, this initial rejection was fully anticipated by ANJRPC based on the leftward lean of that particular district court. They already figured they would be taking this case to higher courts.

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16 minutes ago, voyager9 said:

I hate to say it but the judge isn’t wrong. Wrenn was decided by a different District (DC) so he has to look back Drake as precedence.   SCOTUS would have to affirm Wrenn before it becomes precedence nation-wide. 

Correct. Unfortunately it seems that the only justices willing to follow precedent are on those cases that would benefit us if they didn't.

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Amazing how that whole "precedent" thing only works for antis.  How about the precedent set by Scotus's MacDonald decision, where the right to have a firearm was affirmed as a personal RIGHT.  But somehow in NJ that RIGHT is illegal except..., where you have to ask permission to exercise a RIGHT, where you have to pay >100 dollars to exercise a RIGHT.  Yeah precedent my ass.

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"who concluded that he failed to establish specific threats that put him in special and unavoidable danger"

So how many politicians, judges, retired leo's and so on had to give "specific threats" to be allowed to defend themselves and their family? So if I have a "stranger" leave a threatening message on voice mail is that enough? Do I actually need to get attacked and beat up? Does the beating have to cause hospitalization? So in NJ "law abiding citizen" basically means "target on back".

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"who concluded that he failed to establish specific threats that put him in special and unavoidable danger"
So how many politicians, judges, retired leo's and so on had to give "specific threats" to be allowed to defend themselves and their family? So if I have a "stranger" leave a threatening message on voice mail is that enough? Do I actually need to get attacked and beat up? Does the beating have to cause hospitalization? So in NJ "law abiding citizen" basically means "target on back".
It took the one guy two hospital stays courtesy of the Pagans IIRC.

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On 5/24/2018 at 10:18 PM, Paulie Buffo said:

"who concluded that he failed to establish specific threats that put him in special and unavoidable danger"

So how many politicians, judges, retired leo's and so on had to give "specific threats" to be allowed to defend themselves and their family? So if I have a "stranger" leave a threatening message on voice mail is that enough? Do I actually need to get attacked and beat up? Does the beating have to cause hospitalization? So in NJ "law abiding citizen" basically means "target on back".

I've read about people being stalked by a violent person and not being able to get a concealed carry. People who regularly receive death threats and can't get a concealed carry.

It's a disgrace of a system.

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I've read about people being stalked by a violent person and not being able to get a concealed carry. People who regularly receive death threats and can't get a concealed carry.
It's a disgrace of a system.
Thank Democrats

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10 minutes ago, capt14k said:

Thank Democrats

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It's easy when people have no experience with guns so they are scared of them. My mom's always been nervous about guns. Last time she was over, my wife and I shower her our guns and my mom freaked over me having an "assault rifle". I let her hold it and then grabbed some ammo and showed her what .22lr looks like. Let her hold the Beretta and I could see the fear leaving her. It's such a silly thing to fear if you treat it with the respect it deserves.

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It's easy when people have no experience with guns so they are scared of them. My mom's always been nervous about guns. Last time she was over, my wife and I shower her our guns and my mom freaked over me having an "assault rifle". I let her hold it and then grabbed some ammo and showed her what .22lr looks like. Let her hold the Beretta and I could see the fear leaving her. It's such a silly thing to fear if you treat it with the respect it deserves.
Yet you vote Dem

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... Last time she was over, my wife and I shower her our guns and my mom freaked over me having an "assault rifle"...


I shower with my guns too. But only handguns.

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122ewrs.jpg
So you're a Liberal who votes Republican. Why do I find that hard to believe. You didn't vote Obama either?

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How did you mix me up with his post

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21 minutes ago, capt14k said:

So you're a Liberal who votes Republican. Why do I find that hard to believe. You didn't vote Obama either?

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How did you mix me up with his post

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Because you don't seem to be able to fathom what it means to be an independent?

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Because you don't seem to be able to fathom what it means to be an independent?
These days an independent is really just a cop out. You either vote Dem and are really an Anti. You vote GOP and are likely Pro 2A. Or you waste your vote on third party candidates.

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3 hours ago, capt14k said:

These days an independent is really just a cop out. You either vote Dem and are really an Anti. You vote GOP and are likely Pro 2A. Or you waste your vote on third party candidates.

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Scary that people believe this is actually true.

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3 hours ago, capt14k said:

These days an independent is really just a cop out. You either vote Dem and are really an Anti. You vote GOP and are likely Pro 2A. Or you waste your vote on third party candidates.

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To quote an old Preacher friend..."ain't nuttin in the middle of the road but dead armadillos"

22 minutes ago, Greenday said:

Scary that people believe this is actually true.

So you're a dead armadillo?

 

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1 minute ago, W2MC said:

To quote an old Preacher friend..."ain't nuttin in the middle of the road but dead armadillos"

So you're a dead armadillo?

That's the dumbest thing I've heard today. Anyone who thinks you can only vote one way ever is what's wrong with this country.

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That's the dumbest thing I've heard today. Anyone who thinks you can only vote one way ever is what's wrong with this country.
No those who vote Dem or waste their vote on Gary Johnson and other 3rd Party aka have no chance candidates is what is wrong with the country

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On 5/3/2018 at 7:01 PM, Greenday said:

I mean, I mentioned in my self-introduction that I'm on the liberal side of things.

 

5 hours ago, Greenday said:

Because you don't seem to be able to fathom what it means to be an independent?

Wow, this boy is full of contradictions today. Seems to be a pattern.....

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