CO: Common Sense Prevails, No Charges for Rep Who Forgot Gun was in Carry-on

Gun Watch ^ | 23 December, 2017 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

In a show of common sense, no charges were filed against State Representative Lori Saine, R-Firestone.

Lori had forgotten that her personal, legal, self-defense firearm was in her carry-on luggage. From thedenverchannel.com:

DENVER — The Boulder County District Attorney has decided not to press charges against Colorado State Rep. Lori Saine, R-Firestone, who was arrested December 5 after carrying a loaded gun through security at Denver International Airport.
In a statement released Thursday, Boulder District Attorney Stanley Garnett's office said a criminal case against Saine could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and charges “are not appropriate.” She was facing a possible class 6 felony charge.

This type of incident happens thousands of times a year. In 2015, the number was 2,653 firearms discovered in carry- on bags. In 2016, 3,391 firearms were discovered the same way.. The number is increasing every year. I expect the 2017 numbers to be higher yet.

Denver is in the top 10 airports for discoveries of legal firearm owners who are inadvertently caught up in TSA security apparatus. There were 98 of these incidents in Denver in 2016.

The U.S.A. has over 16 million people with firearm carry permits, about 6.5 percent of the adult population. With so many people legally carrying firearms, it is inevitable that a few will be distracted at a critical time, get rushed in packing a bag, or otherwise make an innocent mistake that leads to a problem such as Representative Saine encountered at the Denver airport.

Most of these situations are handled with common sense, such as the Boulder County District Attorney demonstrated.

Legal gun owners caught up in TSA security apparatus, should not be subject t o the same penalties as terrorists and assorted criminals.

Being pulled off a flight, losing the cost of the ticket, missing your appointments and family events, and going through the criminal justice system, are more than enough punishment for an innocent mistake.

The job of a prosecutor is to seek justice, not to win cases and prosecutions.
This incident serves as a warning to all gun owners in the United States, and particularly to the millions who routinely carry firearms.

When traveling by air, be extremely cautious about your luggage. Search your carry-on twice to make sure it does not contain so much as a single round of .22 ammunition.

A number of years ago, I found I had traveled hundreds of miles by air with a box of .22 shells in my computer bag. It was a wake-up call.  TSA never discovered the box of ammunition, but they could have. It would have ruined my day.

Do not make that mistake. It is much easier to do than you imagine. The vast majority of people are careful and avoid problems. There are about a hundred million gun owners in the United States. 3,391 were found with a gun in their carry-on last year. It is a tiny percentage.

The numbers are rising as are the number of gun owners and people who regularly carry. Carry a gun enough, and fly often enough, and it can happen. Check your bags twice. When you are tempted to rush, slow down.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

[marktwain]

With 100 million firearm owners, and over 17 million people with carry permits, and 14 states that do not require a permit, a few are bound to make mistakes when going to the airport.

[DIRTYSECRET]

They should of fined her. They took a .22lr bullet out of my bag in Denver but no big deal. They missed it in Phoenix.

[KarlInOhio]

I wonder what the odds of being prosecuted for accidentally bringing a gun through a TSA checkpoint are for someone who isn’t a government official.

[Bryanw92]

>>Lori had forgotten that her personal, legal, self-defense firearm was in her carry-on luggage.

Many years ago, I accidentally scrammed a naval reactor. My punishment was to read an article by Hyman Rickover on “Zero Defects” and then write a paper on it. 35 years later, I still live by that principle.

Carrying a firearm is a “Zero Defects” action.

[FreedomPoster]

My range bag used to double as my carryon bag. I changed personal policy on that right after 9/11 and made it a dedicated range bag, got a separate carryon bag.

A smart move there, methinks.

[PROCON]

I accidentally scrammed a naval reactor.

Scrammed?

[PROCON]

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[alexander_busek]

I wonder what the odds of being prosecuted for accidentally bringing a gun through a TSA checkpoint are for someone who isn’t a government official.

Bingo!

That is the true "take-away" of this article!

Regards,

[real saxophonist]

She wasn’t prosecuted, but she did spend some time in jail. She’s one of our most pro-gun legislators.

[Verbosus]

In Colorado last year, there were 167 people held/questioned about a firearm found in carry-on.
Many of those people made their flight.

In this case, it was unusual that she was held so long (either 24 or 48 hours, I don’t recall.

In Colorado, you can Conceal Carry in the airport. You cannot go through the TSA checkpoint, however.

[Bryanw92]

>>Scrammed?

A protective action that puts all the control rods on the bottom of the reactor core, shutting it down immediately.

[rellimpank]

—I miss the days of yesteryear, when not wanting to leave a.38 Special snubnose in a California apartment , I tossed in in my luggage and it stayed there to Denver, Salt Lake City and back to San Francisco without incident-—

[Portcall24]

Had to look up scram. Not something you run across every day.

[Delta 21]

Thats the only way to operate when you are handling deadly weapons on a routine basis. ZERO DEFECTS. (Of course its impossible to do but we strive for perfection so no one gets killed by accident, especially ME at the TSA checkpoint)

The politician was very careless with her firearm.

How often do you forget where you left your gun?

[Bonemaker]

I solved that concern....I wouldn’t fly if they paid me. They can shove the whole bloody system.

[DaveA37]

“.....a few are bound to make mistakes when going to the airport.”.....

IMO these are “careless” people with firearms permits. I know EXACTLY where any/all of my firearms are at all times and if the are loaded or not. There should be no excuse for forgetting you handgun is in your purse, pocket, strapped to your side or hidden in your underwear, NONE.

[Bonemaker]

“—I miss the days of yesteryear, when not wanting to leave a.38 Special snubnose in a California apartment , I tossed in in my luggage and it stayed there to Denver, Salt Lake City and back to San Francisco without incident-—”

I hear you. I can remember seeing long guns stored in the overhead.

[Delta 21]

[BobL]

One option is to simply use a SEPARATE BAG for carrying a firearm...and use that bag for nothing else. That would probably take care of 90% plus of these incidents.

[ealgeone]

Rules for thee, but not for me!